Email feedback proves a mixed blessing for journalists

In today's Guardian "The Readers' editor' Ian Mayes reports on Email anxiety that is afflicting journalists who put their email address at the end of their pieces. While most journalists he spoke to welcome the direct contact this offered with readers, quite a few were anxious that they were overwhelmed and couldn't respond. One said: "Worst of all worlds is printing an address, suggesting the possibility of an exchange, then ignoring the mail."
However, the advantage, noted by many, "was the flow of information, ideas and contacts they gained from their "real" correspondence, as opposed to the lobbies, the abuse and the spam.
"A freelance journalist who wrote recently on the comment pages emailed the commissioning editor to say she had been delighted with the feedback - about 25 emails, bringing more information, some new contacts, three offers to write for other newspapers, and a note from an old schoolfriend with whom she had long lost touch."
It seems to me that direct reader feedback is one challenge to the temptation for journalists to write for other journalists, and take their reward from the extent others follow their story - rather than the response of readers they (should) aim to serve. It could also provide them with something to take to editors to show what interests people.... well, those that are avid emailers anyway.
On a positive note, I did once email the BBC's political editor Andrew Marr about a piece he did interviewing himself that didn't - I felt - come off well. He came back immediately with a charming and self-depracatory response, which convinced me he was in fact as honest as he (usually) looked on screen.
Perhaps we'll see journalists - or their papers - setting up blogs or wikis with collections of articles and and comment facilities, thereby reducing the email load. Of course, that would provide readers with an open and more interactive forum than the traditional letters page, and great scope for blogging readers to set up links and extend the discourse. Where would it end? I can see why some journalists might be anxious about that. Definitely a challenge to the elite.
More here on What is participatory journalism? in the Online Journalism Review.