"Bloggers unite! (You have been summoned)
Attention, bloggers! (Ah, Geese..Do we have to?)
If nothing else, the big winners this year in the media were you inhabitants of the blogosphere - and I bow down to your progress. (Oh, Oh, Beware of media prophets bearing gifts)
I... want... to... hear.... from, and ...about, you. I want ...to write ...more often ...down the road about your work and ...chron..icle ..how you came to be bloggers. ( Is this guy for real? Understand he speaks slowly when making this statement, as if you are are from some other planet!)
You "folks" (Where's old "Billy Bob' when you need him..)are the future (? tense might be off here) of journalism. Any sensible media hound can plainly see this. Please send me the links to your favorite blogs - yours or someone else's. (Cause I am too damn lazy to do my homework!..)
If you know of someone out there who is doing exceptional work (or messing up), please let me know. I don't care if you write about politics or sports or entertainment or media or foreign affairs or urban affairs or the sex lives of racoons. If you read it, spread the word, OK? (How much are you willing to spend. You are suggesting payment for services rendered, right?)
More and more, technology is leveling the playing field between the so-called mainstream media and everyone else. This is a bloodless revolution - and it's a good thing, too,
Competition is always productive. The blogs keep us old fogies, who draw paychecks (Remember he gets the Big paycheck but he wants you to work for free and give him ALL your sources) from old-line media companies, on our toes. Because of you, we have to do better. More and more, we have to be "fast and perfect". (That's right; so fast, NO time to FACT CHECK! )
If we, in the "dreaded" (Wrong word here as it indicates we shake in fear of..the) Mainstream Media, aren't constantly improving, you'll blow us away. There are so many of you now and you're getting - dare I say it? - increasingly sophisticated. (Indicates pretty unsophisticated before? Perhaps Folksy types?)
At the same time, progress brings increased responsibilities, too. You "folks" (There is that word again!) can't expect to continue to thrive anymore merely by shrieking. Unless you are content to serve a fringe audience on either side of the political spectrum, I encourage you to conform to accepted journalistic principles and demonstrate fairness to your subjects, above all. (Insults won't cut it either, knew it couldn't last..)
I have never subscribed to the notion that journalists are, or have to be, objective (whatever that means). But we do have to show fairness, especially to our most bitter adversaries. Why? Because an exhibition of fairness personifies that elusive quality known simply as good journalism. (Now a defensive strategy..and when did reporters become known as journalists?)
Kurtz
Speaking of worthwhile bloggers, I respect blogger Mickey Kaus's opinions and always take him seriously. But I disagree with him when it comes to his complaints about Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post and CNN's "Reliable Sources" program on Sunday mornings. (Sure still stuck on MSM phonics.)
"In essence, CNN made Kurtz famous and now CNN has him by the (you-know-whats)," Kaus wrote.
Well, sure, it's possible that Kurtz COULD someday stumble. But he hasn't done so yet - not by a long shot. In fact, he is one of the giants of media criticism precisely because he has maintained such high standards of ethics and excellence. (I should be in bed, nodded off here for a minute)
When I decided to profile four leading media critics on successive Fridays last May, it was tough to prune the list to that number. So many people do such terrific work. But there was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to write about Kurtz. And, by the way, it wasn't easy to pin him down for an interview.
Outside of the great conversation we had one afternoon in Washington, I always smile when I think back to the menu and location for our "power lunch." I choked down a couple of slices of (the truth be told, lousy) pizza in the Post cafeteria. Honorable to a fault, Kurtz did NOT try to buy me off, either. Yes sir, I forked over the five bucks out of my own pocket. (Hint: Often good to have a meeting in a place with lousy food when is meant to be short and sweet; and if reeeeally lucky the guest gets indigestion and runs out early.)
Let's get real. Kurtz isn't a running dog of the establishment. Yes, he has a gig worth salivating over - great exposure in one of America's great dailies and a powerful cable TV presence to boot.
But give the guy his props. He's earned his success by being really good at his work and very ethical.
MEDIA WEB QUESTION OF THE DAY: What's your favorite blog?
(And again, I repeat.. do your homework..do I have sucker printed across my forehead? Unless of course you are prepared to share some of your 6 figure salary..)
WEDNESDAY PET PEEVE: That some well-intentioned, if overzealous, critics get carried away during this age of finger-pointing and try to diminish the reputations of honorable journalists. (Back to defending journalists formerly known as reporters as "honorable")