Posted on 09/15/2004 8:03:13 AM PDT by Pikamax
Blessing or Curse? Top Newspaper Editors Examine Blogs' Role in the '60 Minutes' Uproar
By Joe Strupp
Published: September 15, 2004
NEW YORK The current controversy over the validity of documents pushed in large part by bloggers and purporting to prove that President Bush received special treatment in the National Guard shows that partisan Internet pundits are having a growing impact on mainstream press, for better or worse, according to several newspaper editors.
Although editors from four major dailies contend that their product remains the most trusted source of news for most readers, they admit the blogging community is offering competition and provoking even more skepticism of the mainstream media than usual. But they are divided on whether or not this is a positive trend or not.
"It lends itself to a lot of manipulation," said James O'Shea, managing editor of the Chicago Tribune. "You can have information anarchy. You have to look at who these people are. We have to put some scrutiny on the bloggers."
Some pundits, including columnists who write for newspapers, have claimed this week that the blog uprising over the CBS documents signals the end of "old media" dominance. But O'Shea believes "that's a lot of baloney. Wait until people start relying on THEIR information and getting burned." He said newspapers need to closely examine who the bloggers are, their expertise and motivation, and "the phenomenon" in general.
"It is an increasing burden," said Dennis Ryerson, editor of The Indianapolis Star, who admits daily papers are feeling the impact of bloggers. "It hurts because now anyone can publish on the Web. You have people who are politically aligned raising questions about our standards, but there is no attention given to their standards."
While Ryerson supports the Internet's ability to give newspaper readers room to vent their questions about coverage, he laments its often partisan focus: "People believe it because they want to believe it. They believe it because it conforms to their political point of view."
Ryerson warned that newspapers need to maintain standards and not be suckered into moving too fast because of the blogs. "These are not disinterested observers," he said of the bloggers. "I've long maintained that the Internet can be a great thing, but it is also a curse."
Other editors, such as Doug Clifton of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, find bloggers performing an often useful service. He likened them to alternative voices that have always critiqued the mainstream or distributed information daily papers ignore. "The history has been that they find their way into the mainstream press. It used to be handing out pamphlets," Clifton told E&P. "Blogging has ascended more radically because it reaches more people."
Clifton started his own blog on the Plain Dealer site this year.
But, like Ryerson, Clifton warns that many blog readers can fall into the trap of believing anything presented well. "The bloggers cover an incredible spectrum of credibility and authenticity, just like newspapers," he said. "We have the National Enquirer and The New York Times and a lot in between."
For Phil Bronstein, editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, the blogs are just another outlet for those who want to question newspapers, which he believes is positive. "In terms of additional scrutiny it brings, it is good," he said. "It is one of the ways to monitor ourselves."
Still, Bronstein agreed that the growing abundance of such self-published Web sites means newspapers have to deal with much more outside skepticism, opinion and information. "It is a question of filtering through all of the noise," he commented.
Added Bronstein, "blogging is the current hot thing and there may be something else in six months. It may be just a passing phase. And once everyone has a blog, it will become much harder to follow them all."
Ryerson, however, was not as confident. "I don't have a crystal ball," he said. "It is hurting and having an impact. They are now using us more as a punching bag."
Asked what he thought about criticism from the blogs that mainstream papers downplay certain stories, O'Shea said, "I write for our readers, not the bloggers."
<sarcasm>Which, of course, isn't the current problem with the MSM...</sarcasm>
Personally, I'd believe the National Enquirer over the New York Times.
Don't they wish?
you do know this guy's other famous quote right?
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000617053
"There are too many places for people to get information," O'Shea said. "I don't think newspapers can be the gatekeepers anymore -- to say this is wrong and we will ignore it. Now we have to say this is wrong, and here is why."
"PAJAMAHIDEEN"
... only a matter of time before someone came up with that one.
BwahhHaaaa!
Boo F'n Hoo.
Some criticism to their oligarchy of information and all I hear are whines and cries. What happened to embracing accountability, and journalistic standards?
Get used to it OM, because it ain't going away.
Amazing, these bigwigs in the press think they are the only ones who can report the truth. Well, we have seen their truth, and it is filled with lies! Bloggers, I salute you!
We welcome the scrutiny. After all, if I make a factual mistake on FR, there are dozens of people more than eager to point out my mistake, many of whom will throw in a pithy insult for free.
We're used to instantaneous correction and feedback. I doubt, O'Shea, that you are smart enough or skilled enough with withstand the same. But I still invite you to come here and try your hand.
The liberal left and the mullahs of Iran hate the internet.
And for the same reason.
Its sort of like a mammoth examining the tar in the pit.
There are no top newspaper edotors and even if there are they have no credibility.
They have not shouted down the New York Times and until they do so deserve no special place in the pecking order.
MSM lackies is what they are.
Just like there's a lot of color choices between crimson and red
We'll be the first to give you an attaboy, Ryerson, for getting a story right. And we don't mind liberal opinion as long as they use facts and not B.S.
... You have people who are politically aligned raising questions about our standards, but there is no attention given to their standards."
If you guys would have paid more attention to your own bias, we wouldn't be in this position now, would we?
"But O'Shea believes "that's a lot of baloney. Wait until people start relying on THEIR information and getting burned." He said newspapers need to closely examine who the bloggers are, their expertise and motivation, and "the phenomenon" in general."
These guys in the MSM don't get it. It is not that bloggers will (or want to) assume the news function, rather that the MSM are quickly going to have to relinquish their gatekeeping function and the partisanship accompanying that function.
They're welcome to look at my profile page. Bet they won't like it, though.....
Like French aristocrats as the Revolution began, these grandees of the mainstream media are trying to convince themselves that they are confronted by only a passing excitement. But the tumbrels await.
Once again big business (elite) just doesn't get it. The internet as a whole has provided power to the people (surfs).
The MSN only likes us when we fit into their package. Note how all TV stations now will pay $$$$ for breaknews video taken by surfs. This is so they don't have to send their own camera people to the scene. All the reporter needs to do is provide voice over.
THE MSM has spoon fed us for too long and now the come back is taking place.
In the past year I have stopped all my newspaper subscriptions (4 of them). I now get all my new from on line sources - MSN and not so MSN).
Remember how big business laughed off email as a fad and then laughted of IM as a fad.
They just don't learn from their mistakes of the past.
They just don't get it.
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