Why is there that disconnect, you mean? I think it's because SF politics, especially progressive politics, is very insular. Media folks have to get really close to the inside to get information, but once they're on the inside, they forget what it's like to be on the outside. Writers and activists get more concerned about loyalty and preserving friendships than accountability.

Not that I believe in objectivity, but this kind of behavior prevents the public from getting the real story. Also, the lack of information leads to a lot of conspiracy theories and rumor-mongering that never gets confirmed (I should know - this used to be like 80% of my material). I'm obviously over-generalizing here, but that's just my experience.

What the public needs is less blogs and opinion and more investigative pieces. Thankfully, I think local print and online news is changing for the better, with sites like SF Appeal and SF Panorama.