Blogger blowback
As mentioned here previously, journalism professor Michael Skube's Aug. 19 op-ed on how blogs can't replace journalism has generated a torrent of negative feedback. Add to the list journalism professor Jay Rosen, who has penned an example-laden Blowback in response. An excerpt:
Dan Gillmor, a former newspaper man, calls it "journalistic malpractice." And it is that. Also pedagogical buffoonery. In Skube's columns, there's a teacher who doesn't believe in doing his homework - any homework.
So I did it for him.
On the same topic, Editorial Page Editor Jim Newton has written a note to readers that includes this Skube statement over the controversial editing of the piece:
Before my Aug. 19 Opinion piece on bloggers was printed, an editor asked if it would be helpful to include the names of the bloggers in my piece as active participants in political debate. I agreed.
Whole thing here.
Thoughts on Skube, Rosen, Newton, or the L.A. Times? Leave 'em in the comments.
To a certain extent, I agree with Skube, and I'm one of those bloggers who doesn't get paid a cent for what I write.
I'd say easily 95% of blogs are junk. Barely readable junk at that. Those blogs are to the internet what talk radio is to the AM airwaves. Loud, opinionated jerks masquerading as newsmen and women.
On my own blog which focuses exclusively on local news and opinion for my geographic area, I've tried to copy the best of mainstream journalism, add community and reader input, and focus on my writing skills. I categorize my content. If a story has a "News" Icon, it's written in inverted pyramid form. If it's an opinion column, it's clearly labeled as opinion. I even have a "Featured Story" icon, and my readers have come to expect that if something gets that icon, they will read something new, original, and fresh done as a featured report.
My hard work at writing unbiased news stories has paid off. Readers trust my website and my reporting. I freely admit to mistakes.
Bloggers and journalists shouldn't be enemies. Rather they should learn from each other, and I wish Skube was a bit more open minded but most of his commentary was accurate.
Posted by: Jeff Wilson | August 22, 2007 at 04:47 PM