Venerable political journalist Helen Thomas hopes both Iowans and bloggers understand the depth of responsibility placed on their shoulders. "I think [blogging] can be very good," Thomas said in a one-on-one interview Thursday afternoon. "It is important, however, for them to get some help and training from legitimate journalists who can tell them about standards and ethics. The problem is that when everyone who has a laptop thinks that he's a journalist, the potential of ruining lives and ruining reputations is there."