The MSM: Clowns In The Left Ring Of A Three-Ring Circus
I followed a new link from Hugh Hewitt to a brand new site set up by journalist and blogger Danny Glover. (No, not the idiotarian actor that seems to think America's a racist, sexist, homophobic tyranny.) The name of the site is The Carnival Of Blog Coverage, and it is just the sort of site that not only suits my needs when it comes to defending bloggers, but a keen addition to a blogger's arsenal when it comes to dealing with the media.
Indeed, in his second post, which was placed on the site Wednesday of this week, Mr. Glover highlights two particular pieces. One is from Slate, and is entitled Twilight Of The Blogs. The other is called Time For The Last Post, and that comes from the Financial Times. Mr. Glover cites both posts, as follows:
Slate's Daniel Gross suggested that while blogs are in their "gangly adolescence" as a cultural phenomenon, they may have peaked as a business model. And FT Writer Trevor Butterworth was more blunt, concluding his essay with a statement about the "dismal fate of blogging: It renders the word even more evanescent than journalism; yoked, as bloggers are, to the unending cycle of news and the need to post four or five times a day, five days a week, 50 weeks of the year, blogging is the closest literary culture has come to instant obsolescence."
Obsolescence? Is Mr. Butterworth serious? He criticizes bloggers for their work ethic, how they post, and how they track news. Is it because the concept is so foreign to the modern-day journalist? Many bloggers do post four or five times a day, depending on their subjects, and if there are any updates; this is no different than a newspaper with an online site. Did the news websites not keep track of the hapopenings of the war, and of 9/11 as they were occurring? And five days out of the week? Is he serious? I know of no serious blogger who skips the weekends "just because." We do not take the weekends off. We still post. We still comment. And we still hold the press accountable for their misnomers and outright screw-ups with the news. Furthermore, Thomas and I just returned home from vacation. We did not turn away from our duties to our site because we were on vacation. We still posted. (It was a family emergency that stopped us posting for three days, not the "fun" we had on vacation.)
Mr. Gross must have been missing the trends of the MSM lately. Bloggers have been contacted by MSM outlets now for quite sometime, and it is mostly due to the drop in subscriptions and readership; it is a fact that this is due mostly to the availability of the papers on the Internet for free, as opposed to paying for the cage liners on the newstands. In addition, had Mr. Gross done his research, he would have seen that while the MSM continues to lose revenues in advertising--ask the NY Times and LA Times about that, and their most recent set of lay-offs--advertisements have gone up in frequency on blog sites. Advertisers, like any other shrewd business, see blogs as an advertising gold mine; this is due to the amount of traffic certain sites garner. DailyKos, despite being the leading blog for the portside of the blogosphere, racks up thousands of hits a day, and they advertise. The same goes for Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrissey, Glenn Reynolds, and Charles Johnson--five of the elites on the starborad side of the blogosphere.
The simple fact of the matter is this: The clowns in the MSM still do not understand the power that the blogosphere possesses. We can boast about the heads on our collective wall: Dan Rather, Eason Jordan, John Kerry, Howell Raines, Jayson Blair, and Trent Lott. But both men fail to see the influence we have had in recent topics that the MSM either tried to spin into obscurity, or refused to cover.
--The Cartoon War.
--Chief Justice John Roberts (of which bloggers like us, here at the Asylum, vetted his documents before the hearings even got started; TY Hugh Hewitt for the idea and opportunity.)
--Associate Justice Samuel Alito.
--Killing the Harriet Miers nomination.
--The Global War On Terror, in general, which is covered by the blogosphere a hundred times better than the MSM does; this does include independent journalists going into the field like Col. Austin Bay, and Michael Yon.
--Katrina, it's aftermath, and relief efforts. Blogger relief topped over 1.3 million dollars sent to the region to assist those affected, and through number of solid, reputable charities.
--The immigration fight, which is led brialliantly by Michelle Malkin.
--Cutting the Pork in Congress, led by the porkbusters registered at NZ Bear's site, TruthLaidBear.com
--The House leadership race, which bloggers were instrumental in derailing Rep. Roy Blunt in his bid to become the new leader, and basically carry on with business as usual; turning a blind eye to the lobbyist-driven corruption penetrating the party.
And the list goes on, and on. While the MSM sits back, content with maintaining it's failing industry, as they believe they are masters of all that they survey, the bloggers stepped up, tossed down the gauntlet, and said "We can do better." And we have been proving it, day in, day out, for the better part of five years. They are content in their little world. We are not. We have not been happy with their coverage for some time now, and bloggers decided to do something about it.
Furthermore, I note with interest, that it is the MSM writing these two articles. What was the motivation behind it? Was it to try and spin the argument over the blogs? Was it done in an attempt to sway people away from them? Was it done out of spite--a pitiless effort because they are just now realizing that they are losing this fight? I believe it to be all of the above, and more.
The media has seen the writing on the wall. Why else would they be pushing some of their own pundits to move into this realm, like Michael Hiltzik. The man believes himself to be a blogger, and even wears the moniker proudly, but as Thomas has pointed out on more than one occasion, he has no idea what being a blogger is. I take it a step further by stating that he has no idea what being a journalist is. Being a blogger is not about making a site, and posting thoughts on it. You can do that, but I do not see that as "blogging." That is an online diary, and nothing is wrong with that.
But when I speak of blogging, I am referring to the blogs listed above. Online pundits ... Citizen journalists ... Amateur newshounds. Call them what you wish, but they are bloggers, and we are a long way from being obsolete. We are just getting started. And we are advancing not only the debate, but the technology as well. Many bloggers are starting the move to podcasting.
The media has a lot to learn about us, and taking dirty, snide swipes does not a friend make. We could be friends with these people, and it is not like the effort has not been made. It is the media who has slapped the outstretched hand, believing themselves to be better than some "pajama wearing muckrakers." Fine. So be it. To the media I have only one thing to say, in closing.
It is your funeral. Go the way of the dinosaurs, if you wish.
Bunny ;)
I followed a new link from Hugh Hewitt to a brand new site set up by journalist and blogger Danny Glover. (No, not the idiotarian actor that seems to think America's a racist, sexist, homophobic tyranny.) The name of the site is The Carnival Of Blog Coverage, and it is just the sort of site that not only suits my needs when it comes to defending bloggers, but a keen addition to a blogger's arsenal when it comes to dealing with the media.
Indeed, in his second post, which was placed on the site Wednesday of this week, Mr. Glover highlights two particular pieces. One is from Slate, and is entitled Twilight Of The Blogs. The other is called Time For The Last Post, and that comes from the Financial Times. Mr. Glover cites both posts, as follows:
Slate's Daniel Gross suggested that while blogs are in their "gangly adolescence" as a cultural phenomenon, they may have peaked as a business model. And FT Writer Trevor Butterworth was more blunt, concluding his essay with a statement about the "dismal fate of blogging: It renders the word even more evanescent than journalism; yoked, as bloggers are, to the unending cycle of news and the need to post four or five times a day, five days a week, 50 weeks of the year, blogging is the closest literary culture has come to instant obsolescence."
Obsolescence? Is Mr. Butterworth serious? He criticizes bloggers for their work ethic, how they post, and how they track news. Is it because the concept is so foreign to the modern-day journalist? Many bloggers do post four or five times a day, depending on their subjects, and if there are any updates; this is no different than a newspaper with an online site. Did the news websites not keep track of the hapopenings of the war, and of 9/11 as they were occurring? And five days out of the week? Is he serious? I know of no serious blogger who skips the weekends "just because." We do not take the weekends off. We still post. We still comment. And we still hold the press accountable for their misnomers and outright screw-ups with the news. Furthermore, Thomas and I just returned home from vacation. We did not turn away from our duties to our site because we were on vacation. We still posted. (It was a family emergency that stopped us posting for three days, not the "fun" we had on vacation.)
Mr. Gross must have been missing the trends of the MSM lately. Bloggers have been contacted by MSM outlets now for quite sometime, and it is mostly due to the drop in subscriptions and readership; it is a fact that this is due mostly to the availability of the papers on the Internet for free, as opposed to paying for the cage liners on the newstands. In addition, had Mr. Gross done his research, he would have seen that while the MSM continues to lose revenues in advertising--ask the NY Times and LA Times about that, and their most recent set of lay-offs--advertisements have gone up in frequency on blog sites. Advertisers, like any other shrewd business, see blogs as an advertising gold mine; this is due to the amount of traffic certain sites garner. DailyKos, despite being the leading blog for the portside of the blogosphere, racks up thousands of hits a day, and they advertise. The same goes for Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrissey, Glenn Reynolds, and Charles Johnson--five of the elites on the starborad side of the blogosphere.
The simple fact of the matter is this: The clowns in the MSM still do not understand the power that the blogosphere possesses. We can boast about the heads on our collective wall: Dan Rather, Eason Jordan, John Kerry, Howell Raines, Jayson Blair, and Trent Lott. But both men fail to see the influence we have had in recent topics that the MSM either tried to spin into obscurity, or refused to cover.
--The Cartoon War.
--Chief Justice John Roberts (of which bloggers like us, here at the Asylum, vetted his documents before the hearings even got started; TY Hugh Hewitt for the idea and opportunity.)
--Associate Justice Samuel Alito.
--Killing the Harriet Miers nomination.
--The Global War On Terror, in general, which is covered by the blogosphere a hundred times better than the MSM does; this does include independent journalists going into the field like Col. Austin Bay, and Michael Yon.
--Katrina, it's aftermath, and relief efforts. Blogger relief topped over 1.3 million dollars sent to the region to assist those affected, and through number of solid, reputable charities.
--The immigration fight, which is led brialliantly by Michelle Malkin.
--Cutting the Pork in Congress, led by the porkbusters registered at NZ Bear's site, TruthLaidBear.com
--The House leadership race, which bloggers were instrumental in derailing Rep. Roy Blunt in his bid to become the new leader, and basically carry on with business as usual; turning a blind eye to the lobbyist-driven corruption penetrating the party.
And the list goes on, and on. While the MSM sits back, content with maintaining it's failing industry, as they believe they are masters of all that they survey, the bloggers stepped up, tossed down the gauntlet, and said "We can do better." And we have been proving it, day in, day out, for the better part of five years. They are content in their little world. We are not. We have not been happy with their coverage for some time now, and bloggers decided to do something about it.
Furthermore, I note with interest, that it is the MSM writing these two articles. What was the motivation behind it? Was it to try and spin the argument over the blogs? Was it done in an attempt to sway people away from them? Was it done out of spite--a pitiless effort because they are just now realizing that they are losing this fight? I believe it to be all of the above, and more.
The media has seen the writing on the wall. Why else would they be pushing some of their own pundits to move into this realm, like Michael Hiltzik. The man believes himself to be a blogger, and even wears the moniker proudly, but as Thomas has pointed out on more than one occasion, he has no idea what being a blogger is. I take it a step further by stating that he has no idea what being a journalist is. Being a blogger is not about making a site, and posting thoughts on it. You can do that, but I do not see that as "blogging." That is an online diary, and nothing is wrong with that.
But when I speak of blogging, I am referring to the blogs listed above. Online pundits ... Citizen journalists ... Amateur newshounds. Call them what you wish, but they are bloggers, and we are a long way from being obsolete. We are just getting started. And we are advancing not only the debate, but the technology as well. Many bloggers are starting the move to podcasting.
The media has a lot to learn about us, and taking dirty, snide swipes does not a friend make. We could be friends with these people, and it is not like the effort has not been made. It is the media who has slapped the outstretched hand, believing themselves to be better than some "pajama wearing muckrakers." Fine. So be it. To the media I have only one thing to say, in closing.
It is your funeral. Go the way of the dinosaurs, if you wish.
Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 1:53 AM
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