Posted on 03/14/2005 5:55:46 AM PST by Pikamax
Liberal Bloggers Reaching Out to Major Media By JONATHAN D. GLATER
ven as online pundits criticize traditional news organizations as slow, biased and technologically challenged, a group of bloggers is trying to use old-fashioned telephone conference calls to share their ideas with newspaper and television journalists.
The bloggers, who describe themselves as liberal or progressive, say the conference calls are intended to counter what they regard as the much stronger influence of conservative pundits online. Bob Fertik, president of Democrats.com, the host of the two calls so far, views them as a step toward getting their reports out to mainstream news organizations.
While there is no way to know precisely who dialed in, reporters from news organizations including CBS, The Washington Post, Newsweek, MSNBC and The National Journal asked for a call-in number, according to one participant.
"We hope to build a bridge," Mr. Fertik said, adding that different bloggers would be invited to share their reporting on each call. "We hope that good credible stories that are broken on the Internet find their way into coverage in the mainstream media."
The conference call is a small development in the complex relationship between bloggers and the mainstream media. Traditional journalists largely ignored bloggers when they emerged, but have begun to take note of their influence as online commentators assumed roles in news stories like the flaws in the report by "60 Minutes Wednesday" on President Bush's National Guard service and the comments by the former CNN chief, Eason Jordan, about the military's treatment of journalists in Iraq.
As more news emerges online, or what is reported offline becomes fodder for further investigation, the lines between those operating in the world of online news and commentary and those at the traditional media organizations have become more blurred and sometimes less confrontational. Some news organizations now credit blogs that originate stories, extending to them the treatment other media receive. Some bloggers, in turn, argue that they should receive all the legal privileges that traditional journalists often have, including the right to protect news sources.
Mr. Fertik maintains that the blurring of boundaries has benefited left-wing bloggers less than their adversaries on the right, saying that reports posted on conservative blogs more easily make the jump to the main news media. "The way we perceive it," he said, "is that right-wing bloggers are able to invent stories, get them out on Drudge, get them on Rush Limbaugh, get them on Fox, and pretty soon that spills over into the mainstream media. We, the progressives, we don't have that kind of network to work with."
Some on the right disagree, arguing that the news reported by traditional media is tainted by liberal bias. "We learned years ago that the mainstream media just weren't going to pay attention to us," said Kristinn Taylor of the Web site FreeRepublic.com.
But bloggers on all sides agree that the left has made less effective use of the opportunities to organize and wield influence afforded by the Internet. The reasons, though, are more complex than they might appear. "It's not just a story about the blogosphere," said Jack M. Balkin, a professor and director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. "It's a story about the conservative social networks of which the blogosphere is a part. The important thing is the network - and I mean the social network."
It is probably too early to tell how successful the conference calls have been, although Mr. Fertik said that the audio recording of the first call had been downloaded some 2,000 times. During the second call, held last Tuesday, Brad Friedman, who runs bradblog.com, discussed his investigation into accusations of rigged electronic voting machines - a contentious subject that drew questions from listeners, mostly other bloggers.
Some phoned from far away, including places in Canada, to take part in the call, which lasted more than an hour. Listeners asked if a figure in Mr. Friedman's inquiry had taken a lie-detector test and if any traditional news outlets had picked up the story.
Will Femia, a producer at MSNBC.com who monitors blogging, said he was surprised by how well that call worked. "It was a fascinating idea," he said, "and I would also say that it's not a bad idea to try something like that. I know that the news producers that I've spoken with are still engaged in a learning curve on how to extract news from blogs."
Mr. Femia, who sometimes presents ideas based on bloggers' postings, said he was not sure exactly how stories made the transition. "I don't know what the tipping point is," he said, adding that some reporters clearly checked blogs for ideas.
Another conservative Web site, younger than FreeRepublic.com, may offer the best lesson on how to gain influence, a lesson that would resonate with any aspiring journalist: tell a compelling, highly topical story.
Powerlineblog.com was one of the first blogs to spread criticism of the documents used as evidence in the "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment, said Paul Mirengoff, a Washington lawyer and a member of the site. "We put the question on our blog and then our readers started weighing in," he said, adding that because the topic was so sensational, it was inevitable that it would make it into the mainstream media.
"That really spiked our readership," Mr. Mirengoff said, and established the site as a force to be reckoned with.
But he disputed the idea that conservative bloggers had greater success in getting their stories spread by mainstream reporters. "The left just thinks we're getting a free ride and the mainstream media are just eating out of our hand," he said. "That's just not the case."
He added that he would be curious to see what happened with the conference call effort. "It never would've occurred to me," he said. "It seems a reasonable thing to do and if it works, we might copy it."
Mr. Balkin said that building the influence of a particular Web site requires more than simply expressing conservative views online or taking on a broadcast journalist like Dan Rather. What matters is the willingness of like-minded people to establish links to that Web site, to drive more traffic there, and of yet other like-minded people in traditional news organizations, in talk radio and on television to draw on it.
"It's a team effort," Mr. Taylor of FreeRepublic.com said. "We feed off each other, because the radio hosts would have information that we didn't have and then we would post that." In the early days of FreeRepublic, meetings with politicians and other offline efforts helped get word of the site out, too.
Right-leaning bloggers were unified by the presence of President Bill Clinton in the 1990's, Mr. Balkin said. That fueled their sense of commitment, he said, adding that while the war in Iraq might have a similar effect on the left now, that would take time.
Asked what lessons liberal and progressive bloggers could learn from the experience of FreeRepublic, Mr. Taylor replied that while "I'm loath to give them advice," they might have to outgrow the conspiracy-theory stage of blogging to produce reports that are credible and relevant to a wider audience.
"In the old days of FreeRepublic," he said, "we had all kinds of black helicopters" and speculation about the effect of the Y2K problem. After the world did not end on Jan. 1, 2000, he said, "We tried to be more realistic."
So Socialists don't know how to use the social network. Hmmmmm.
Kristinn is quoted twice in this article.
Once again, the Left doesn't get it. They see the glow of headlights coming from around the bend and then see a kid on a bicycle flattened by a truck, so they assume the youngster's demise was caused by the glow of the headlights.
The bloggers are the headlights, you liberal weenies. The truck that is doing the real damage is called "the truth." Conservative bloggers have more influence--not because they are conspiriatorially connected, not because they all read the memo in the morning--because they tell the truth. Just ask Dan Rather.
All the left-wing conference calls and faxes don't mean a thing unless they are telling the truth. And they're not.
Yeah, skip the blogs and go for the DIRECT FEED
so much for an "independent" and "unbiased" Press
Laughable story on any level except as an indicator of 1)how clueless the stone-age media is, and 2)how strongly they exhibit liberal bias. Not particularly unexpected of the NYT, of course.
The black helicopters and Y2K were useful tools in using against a democrat in the White House. Once a republican got in, then those who used those as their claim to fame were no longer necessary and viewed as our "crazy aunt". I wonder if a democrat returns to the White House if suddenly these fringers or "crazy aunts" will be welcome again in the fight? They were useful then, will they useful in the future?
It appears the socialist have to call the press, because the press won't read theirs.
Living in their Marxist mind-world; these people cannot escape their own warped view of the universe. . .
We do not want a bridge to 'there'. . .
-"It's a story about the conservative social networks of which the blogosphere is a part. The important thing is the network - and I mean the social network."
So Socialists don't know how to use the social network. Hmmmmm.-
A real network implies equality rather than a bunch of Rats at the top directing their peons. Not the fake equality lefties rant on about.
The bloggers are the headlights, you liberal weenies. The truck that is doing the real damage is called "the truth." Conservative bloggers have more influence--not because they are conspiriatorially connected, not because they all read the memo in the morning--because they tell the truth.
Great analogy.
Finally, after yards of article, the author finally uncovers what makes blogs/forums work (thanks to a freeper, Kristinn). It must have been a stunning revelation to him.
"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
...I know that the news producers that I've spoken with are still engaged in a learning curve on how to extract news from blogs."...
They are learning to read?
There are still plenty left.
Thank you.
INVENT?
SAD!!
Unless FR starts collecting money for a political party... it won't happen. The senators realize that mccrazy-findgold was a bad plan and are trying to figure out how to fix it. We could tell them, but they won't listen to the pajamahajedeen. Idiots. Any money, anytime... full, immeadiate on-line disclosure... case closed.
"The way we perceive it," he said, "is that right-wing bloggers are able to invent stories, get them out on Drudge, get them on Rush Limbaugh, get them on Fox, and pretty soon that spills over into the mainstream media. We, the progressives, we don't have that kind of network to work with."
Living in their Marxist mind-world; these people cannot escape their own warped view of the universe. . .
To Marxist/"liberal" clones' mantra: everyone ELSE is a liar and all opposition "invents stories".
Marxist "liberals" are neurotic tyrants who think the only way to claim credibility for themselves is to defame and demonize their opposition.
Marxist Pavlovian Brainwash is scary. Everytime, and the last time was the previous week, I run into this certain Federal "public servant" she stares through me and automatically says, "Bush is a liar and its Bush's war for oil." I am NOT kidding! I am NOT kidding.
One week after 9/11, before I ever heard of Ward Churchill, a ten year old told me HER teacher told the class that 9/11 terrorist attacks was the U.S.' fault! I am not kidding.
How many times have you heard via the MEDIA that "Bush is a liar" or "Bush lied"? Ever hear the Media repeating over and over comments referring to Bill Clinton as a perjurer?
The MEDIA establishment has been exposed finally as the propaganda "pundit" wh*re it has been. Thanks to free thinking and free speech on the NET, the MEDIA is now a defensive whiney who*e. The MEDIA establishment's monopoly on "news" and "opinion" based on its singular bias has imploded.
"Liberal Bloggers" have no where to reach but backward to retro-Marxist socialism and (e.g., ACLU) Bolschevik tactics.
See it; hear it. . .know it. It is incredible; the lower eschelons of the Marxist Dems believe the lie; the higher ranking know their job is to perpetrate it. .
These people must hear in their dreams. . .'long live the people of the lie' . . . or something equally fitting. . .
As for the 'blood for oil'; please remind those who insist such. . .that this entire packaged, lip-synching demagoguery originated only where it could have. . .
. . .in the Marxist mind of perp-parasites whose corrupt practices of 'food for oil' prolonged the suffering of millions; while jeopardizing the lives of all in the 'free world'. . .
People read blogs because the poster's have the wit, intellect and ability to mentally stimulate (or piss off) their readers daily.
[excerpt, article by J B Williams, http://jb-williams.com]
Of, By and For the Party!
Written by JB Williams
©2005-03-09
For decades, we have sat helplessly watching as a government intended to be of, by and for the people became increasingly all about the Party…All about the politics and the politician. [The MEDIA aided and abetted...]
So there is a good reason why the Internet is now the new target for censorship by Washington insiders and media elites alike…. Network news ratings are tanking, newspaper circulations are plummeting and Washington elites are growing weary of answering a steadily increasing volume of mail from we the people… This isn’t how it is supposed to work (in their minds).
We the people are supposed to go to the polls every two years or so and return to our daily routines assuming our elected officials are doing what they promised when they asked for our votes. The press is supposed to be the people’s watchdog, keeping us informed on a need-to-know basis, shaping the headlines to keep us up to speed…
The Internet has messed up everything … Things in Washington generally happen at a snail’s pace. It takes time to gather a consensus and make anything happen there. Meanwhile, information on the Internet is moving at light speed and the people’s reaction to that information is almost instantaneous.
Recent casualties of the people’s new weapon, John Kerry, Dan Rather, Arlen Specter and Mary Mapes to name a few, are unnerved by this growing power of the people to gather information on their own and engage in the process of self-governance, becoming their own watchdogs. We no longer need the press shaping our opinions by shaping our headlines. In fact, it turns out that the more aware we become of that practice, the more they get shoved to the ash heap of history…
It is really this simple. When elected officials act in their own self interests, or party interests at the expense of those they are sworn to represent, say by giving themselves a golden parachute retirement plan exclusive to them at our expense while bankrupting the paltry system they force down the throats of us pee-ons, then government is no longer of, by or for the people… No getting around it…
So while the MSM denies a liberal agenda, they see no problem in joining in on conference calls with the left to see how they can increase their influence?
MSM.....to the Bat(ty) Phone!!!!!
Very nice post. I believe they think everybody lies just like they do, and so in their minds it's a matter of convincing everyone else not to pay attention to the little man behind the curtain. They think the problem with their ideas stems from marketing and not the product they are trying to sell.
After all, they are the mainstream not those nasty right-wing fascist gun-nuts. How could anyone possibly believe them?
Agree with everyting you say. . .and for sure - and sadly - I know you are NOT kidding.
See it; hear it. . .know it. It is incredible; the lower eschelons of the Marxist Dems believe the lie; the higher ranking know their job is to perpetrate it. .
*In Marxist parlance, the term is "willing fools" - mostly idealistic youth and generational communists who are manipulated by the "higher ranking" operatives.
These people must hear in their dreams. . .'long live the people of the lie' . . . or something equally fitting. . .
*"Brokanovsky's Process" (that is, cloning and brainwashing) "...major instruments of social stability." "Do you know what a 'home' was?" The students shook heads answering "No."
Ref: Brave New World, A. Huxley
As for the 'blood for oil'; please remind those who insist such. . .that this entire packaged, lip-synching demagoguery originated only where it could have. . .
. . .in the Marxist mind of perp-parasites whose corrupt practices of 'food for oil' prolonged the suffering of millions; while jeopardizing the lives of all in the 'free world'. . .
*The corrupt United Nations and France, et al.
I think the MSM does "get it" and they are trying to set up true blogs and ignore the forums.
They don't want forums to become universal knowledge. Forums negate the need for medial
Look at the recent nicols chase. We had a live thread running whild watching FNC. Newpapers were useless. CNN, and MSNBC were irrelevant.
We were able to discuss court security, share information, counter stupid observations fare better than any MSM outlet.
All the repoters and reporterette want to have their own little blogs which they see as personal magazines. They don't want people knowing about forums calling them out for being the mediots that they are.
Seriously when ANY major news event happens, if you are not on FR you are just not informed. If you refuse to be on FR, you are intentionally ignorant.
Ahhh, those were the days.
Even allowing for the fact of those Repubs who find. . .or imagine they need to 'make nice' and therefore 'find'/articulate. . .the praiseworthiness of Hillary - I continue to wonder how it is. . .this woman has escaped, thus far; her own damning truth as she continues her 'pull to power'. . .
I still have 200 cases of freeze dried chili. :)
"Recent casualties of the people’s new weapon, John Kerry, Dan Rather, Arlen Specter and Mary Mapes to name a few, are unnerved by this growing power of the people to gather information on their own and engage in the process of self-governance, becoming their own watchdogs. We no longer need the press shaping our opinions by shaping our headlines."
Even allowing for the fact of those Repubs who find. . .or imagine they need to 'make nice' and therefore 'find'/articulate. . .the praiseworthiness of Hillary - I continue to wonder how it is. . .this woman has escaped, thus far; her own damning truth as she continues her 'pull to power'. . .
*MEDIA's puppet whores aid and abet the Hillary mythos.
I am not a "nice" Republican (party member) - I am an angry as hell republican (citizen).
Cricket, I commend you for insight and eloquence:
"Hillary - I continue to wonder how it is. . .this woman has escaped, thus far; her own damning truth as she continues her 'pull to power'. . ."
"The bloggers, who describe themselves as liberal or progressive, say the conference calls are intended to counter what they regard as the much stronger influence of conservative pundits online. Bob Fertik, president of Democrats.com, the host of the two calls so far, views them as a step toward getting their reports out to mainstream news organizations."
Will they never learn - You don't bring a knife to a gun fight.
'Me too'. . .and 'thanks'. . .
Appreciate your analysis as well ;^)
CommunistpartyUSA has a convention and "confidence builders" too.
Flat earth society has a convention and "confidence builders" too.
Perhaps they should share costs with the Whig and Bull Moose Party.
I understade in FL there are political parties call the Micky Mouse Party and Birthday Party which also may be interested in joining in the conference calls.
I'm not sure speculation about Y2K was in the tinfoil league. I worked for a major banking software company, and they spent at least six years planning for Y2K.
Maybe that's why nothing happened.
"CommunistpartyUSA has a convention and "confidence builders" too.
Flat earth society has a convention and "confidence builders" too.
Perhaps they should share costs with the Whig and Bull Moose Party.
I understade in FL there are political parties call the Micky Mouse Party and Birthday Party which also may be interested in joining in the conference calls.
*I wouldn't dismiss the Communist Party USA by assigning it to the insignificant company of the Mickey Mouse Party, and the deader than dead Whig and Bull Moose parties. The CPUSA is THE source of "liberal" rhetoric. If I want to know what "liberals" in Democrat party are thinking, I read CPUSA articles. How else could I substantiate calling Ed Asner a Marxist if Asner didn't paraphrase in strident tones CPUSA's activist propaganda? That Asner is at the FRONT of protests fostered by the CPUSA? That "Peace" protesters get their signs from CPUSA workshops?
Come on, GET REAL. I know better because I'm a rehabilitated former "liberal." BTW, I don't trust people who dismiss the extant influence of the CPUSA.
P.S.
Another "liberal" source: http://www.wsws.org
About the International Committee
of the Fourth International
[it's the Communist International]
[USA HQ at Oak Park, MI -USA Socialist Equality Party]
The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) is the leadership of the world socialist movement, the Fourth International founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938.
In all countries the sections of the International Committee fight to unite the world working class in a common struggle for social equality.
The ICFI rests on the proud heritage of the movement founded by Leon Trotsky, co-leader with Lenin of the Russian Revolution. For more information on the history and program see the further reading list.
Be sure to check this page frequently as more material will be added.
* !
I came to that conclusion recently - that the liberal blogs are at the conspiracy-addled stage that the right-wingers were at in the late 1990s. We have since gotten a lot better at vetting sources and doing fact-checking - to the point where we are far better at it than the MSM.
At times, FR allowed our dislike of Clinton to cloud our better judgement, such as with the Danny Williams fiasco. The left, however, has taken their presidential hatred of Bush far further than we ever did against Clinton. And that has blinded them to the obvious - such as their continued insistence that Bush said the threat from Saddam was imminent as a justification for the invasion when he said something far different.
So at the end of the day, the right-wing bloggers vet their own works for accuracy. Whereas the left-wingers use blogs as a way to move stories back and forth between blogs and the MSM to try and fabricate conspiracies. One method has much better traction, and it ain't theirs.
And like you, Kristinn, I would normally not be inclined to give them advice, except for the fact that the results of the liberal blogs are toxic to our political system, plus I doubt they'll listen to me anyway. They're too busy gloating over how the Jeff Gannon matter is going to lead to Bush's impeachment.
CommunistpartyUSA has a convention and "confidence builders" too.
Flat earth society has a convention and "confidence builders" too.
Perhaps they should share costs with the Whig and Bull Moose Party.
I understade in FL there are political parties call the Micky Mouse Party and Birthday Party which also may be interested in joining in the conference calls.
*Students vs. Professors By Hans Zeiger [http://www.politicalusa.com]
“Marxism is dying globally,” writes columnist and recent UCLA graduate Ben Shapiro. “But it’s alive and kicking at America’s universities.” Shapiro’s list of communist courses, texts, and activities in American higher education spans a chapter in his new book Brainwashed: How America’s Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth.
Current example in the news: Colorado University at Boulder, Marxist edufakir Ward Churchill.
The reasons aren't complex, they're too damn dumb to use the internet as a powerful tool, and those who aren't are too disorganized to get together with others.
Why do these people continue to describe themselves as "progressive"? What progress? They have no new ideas, they've had no ideas for twenty years. They are like an unmarked exit off the highway. They think they're going forward, but in reality they're driving off on some tangent into the backwoods of East Slobovia somewhere. Driving on and on in a direction no one wants the country to go thinking we're all following them.
"Her publisher, Random House, will not release the book to reporters or critics in advance,
and Ms. Fonda will not give interviews
before her appearance on "60 Minutes,"
scheduled for April 3."
Hanoi Jane's imminent autobiography
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1360385/posts
60 Minutes ALERT!
Anybody think Dan Rather will do the interview?
Rather, 73, is returning to full-time reporting for CBS’s “60 Minutes” broadcasts.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7137959/?GT1=6305
oh, they miss the important -nay, KEY - problem leftists have in debating online: The traditional methods they have fine-tuned for years in viva-voce and televised debate SIMPLY DO NOT WORK in a text-base format in which everything said is readily re-read, quoted verbatim, dissected mercilessly, and responded-to at leisure. The "shout-down" and hurling of debate-ending anathemae simply don't work in this format
Yep, it's again Rats thinking that the medium is more important than the message--that Bill Clinton's charisma can make his message disappear.
However, it worked with Clinton. I wouldn't be surprised to see it work again given the right Rat.
This is humorous. Liberal bloggers don't get noticed for the same reason that no one listens to liberal talk radio -- they already have the mainstream media. What do they need the alternative media for?
We need to get the call in # to one of these events.
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