I have a Ph.D in English. Before abandoning academe, I published about a dozen academic articles in peer-reviewed journals and book collections. I have also published another dozen or so essays and some reviews in print magazines and journals. Finally, I have published a half-dozen or so lengthy essays in online magazines, of the sort you've probably even heard of. Most importantly, I have 3 1/2 years' worth of posts on this blog, many of which have been linked to and discussed by other bloggers, who thought they were pretty good, and about which I've received e-mails from real print writers telling me they also thought they were worthwhile. You can read these posts for yourself and tell me whether they meet your high standards for "logically reasoned discourse" rather "mere yammering." I did my best to meet them, I assure you.
Are these "credentials" sufficient? What else should I do to be granted your favor? Maybe you could invite me to some of your own big-time cocktail parties and introduce me to your cool Hollywood and publishing friends? Maybe I'm just a bon mot away from establishing my "right to an opinion."
In the meantime, please keep writing ignorant, uninformed, embarrassingly smug articles in newspapers like the Los Angeles Times. They really keep us bloggers in our place and make you print "scriveners" seem oh-so insightful.