Advent of blogs has changed the nature of reporting

Monterey Herald ^ | Sat, Sep. 18, 2004 | BETH GILLIN

[NavySEAL F-16]

It may go down in history as the week an army of pajama-clad nobodies humbled the mighty MSM.

Among those who distrust the MSM, particularly conservative bloggers, there was undeniable satisfaction in seeing Dan Rather brought low by a ragtag gang of amateur sleuths.

Here were Gunga Dan and his employer, CBS, the Viacom property formerly known as the Tiffany Network, pinioned by a swarm of bloggers, the Lilliputians of Newsland.

The mainstream media - or MSM in the derisive parlance of blogdom - didn't blink when Rather reported he had proof that President Bush disobeyed a direct order from a National Guard superior 32 years ago. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe rushed the story onto their front pages.

But bloggers pounced on it almost immediately, saying the "proof" was bogus.

[NavySEAL F-16]

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/nation/9700221.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[Cicero]

Somebody's looking over your shoulder, MSM.

[Cicero]

The source material has now been so widely discredited that master forger Frank Abagnale, so winsomely played by Leonardo DiCaprio in "Catch Me If You Can," told the New York Post: "If my forgeries looked as bad as the CBS documents, it would have been "Catch Me In Two Days."

Wow. I didn't click at first that this was syndicated from the ultra-left-wing Philadelphia Enquirer. See the bottom of the article.

[mrustow]

BTTT

[formercalifornian]

REady for action!

[writer33]

Excerpt of an essay, Free Republic and the New Media:

But the media doesn’t know the full power of Free Republic. The media doesn’t know it is made of up individuals across the globe. “Amateurs” of all walks of life, willing to make the leap in refuting liberal terrorism in the press. From housewives to airline pilots, from ministers to talk show hosts, and from architects to engineers, comprise diversity so great that the media’s group of so-called experts can’t keep up. We even have our own range of military personnel from every branch of service, willing to battle lies and distortions within the media elite. And as much as we hate to admit it, we have lawyers that lurk, lawyers that Freep, and lawyers that make sure no lawsuit is left behind.

From our makeup, we are Americans: Conservative Americans. Americans united in one common goal: We won’t stop till the mission is complete. For we are the new media. We are the new truth in America. We are the amateurs that have rocked the status quo. These merry bands of amateurs, known as Freepers, have shown their expertise at exposing the truth. This forum called Free Republic will supercede the admonishment of the liberal media and conquer all those that oppose us. After all, we are the best in the world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Free Republic is made up of some of the finest minds I’ll ever know.” And for that, I am forever grateful for their expertise. I am forever grateful for this new media.

[netmilsmom]

>>Wingnuts of the Right who say the Clintons faked Vince Foster's suicide.<<

I am a Right Wing Nub-Job. My bumpersticker says so!

[NewMediaFan]

Old Media: "Trust us. We're CBS News."

New Media: "We're gonna fact-check your a$$."

[NavySEAL F-16]

Wingnuts of the Right

Since I haven't changed my core beliefs and values since I was old enough to know what "beliefs and values" were, I must have been born a wingnut.

LOL

[netmilsmom]

Why! I think I was too!

[Boundless]

> The {legacy media} didn't blink when Rather reported he
> had proof that President Bush disobeyed a direct order ...

Although FR and the blogs were major factors in nailing
down the forgeries, let's not overlook why CBS blundered
into this. It wasn't just because they were unaware of
the blog effect ...

Grima Rathertongue ran with this, over the advice of his
experts, and the misgivings of CBS staffers, because he
had an "unimpeachable source" for the story. What was it?

The White House had been provided copies of the memos,
and declined to impeach the story.

In the CBS warped view of journalistic method, the lack
of impeachment was construed as confirmation. Let the
hole digging begin.

Bush is still rope-a-doping these clowns, and as far as
we know, they are still digging that hole. Rather's
head disappeared down it a couple of days ago. Have we
seen any sign of him since? There still is dirt being
flung out of the hole, but no paydirt.

[GoLightly]

And yet there is something to be said for the authority of the MSM. Without institutions to define news by deciding what's important, how are consumers supposed to make sense of the avalanche of information available in the digital age?

Authority? Skuze me? What a steaming pile of BS!! Define news by deciding what is important? Important to them? Important to me?

I define what is important to me. I make sense of the avalanche, by delving more into the things I believe are important, while I mostly ignore the things I think are not.

[rodguy911]

How's that song go "WE've only just begun"...

[GoLightly]

We've always been looking over their shoulder, but have mostly been ignored, cuz we had no voice. Now our breath is being felt on the backs of their necks.

[firebrand]

[js1138]

[Tribune7]

The mainstream media - or MSM

Old Media Old Media Old Media

FR is now the MSM

CBS is a dinosaur.

[RoseofTexas]

OH MY! I just realized something....NOW the emails we sent out to Companies who support the trash the libs on the tube ditch out, will TAKE the PJ Freepers...SERIESLY!!!!!!!!! WOW, never thought of that! All our emails will not have gone in vain!! :o}

[geedee]

Great . . .Great . . . GREAT ANALYSIS! You nailed every word.

What color and kind of pajamas are you wearing? I've gotta get me a pair of them suckers.

[geedee]

I guess you wrote the essay, right? LOL. If not, take the praise and move on.