GOP losing the new-media war (FR NOT mentioned)

Politico ^ | Thu Jul 24 | Jonathan Martin

[300magnum]

Republicans have no lack of would-be George F. Wills.

But what they really need are some more Robert D. Novaks.

The distinction between the two prominent conservative journalists isn't always obvious, but it's nevertheless important to understand: One almost exclusively writes opinion pieces, while the other offers reportage with a point of view.

The same might be said of the emerging differences between the conservative presence on the Internet and the liberal one: The right is engaged in the business of opining while the left features sites that offer a more reportorial model.

At first glance, these divergent approaches might not seem consequential. But as the 2008 campaign progresses, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the absence of any websites on the right devoted to reporting—as opposed to just commenting on the news—is proving politically costly to Republicans.

While conservatives are devoting much of their Internet energy to analysis, their counterparts on the left are taking advantage of the rise of new media to create new institutions devoted to unearthing stories, putting new information into circulation and generally crowding the space traditionally taken by traditional media. And it almost always comes at the expense of GOP politicians.

While online Republicans chase the allure of punditry and commentary, Democrats and progressives are pursuing old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting, in a fashion reminiscent of 2004. Back then, the Drudge Report and other lesser-known conservative portals played a key role in defining John Kerry and pushing back against criticism of George W. Bush such as when conservative bloggers debunked documents purportedly related to the president’s Air National Guard service.

Just as Drudge and critics of the now-infamous “60 Minutes” report on Bush were able to push stories damaging to Kerry or beneficial to Bush into the mainstream media, liberal online organs are now doing the same,

[TexasCajun]

The author probably doesn’t have time for FR after visiting DU or KOS.

[300magnum]

I don’t think Juan “The Maverick” is helping matters either.

[Cicero]

Huffington Post rotted the author’s mind, I think.

Drudge broke Rathergate? Well, he certainly helped to spread it, but I don’t think he broke it.

I notice that the writer can only offer one very minor example of how the left wing blogs “broke” a story. Gee, McCain misspoke—and I must confess I never even heard about it. What an important story! Almost like the 57 states visited by Obama, or the ten years he expects to spend running our country—into the ground.

Upstream, downstream. I’d say Politico is pretty far downstream in the leftist mediaverse, although I do vaguely recall one or two stories that the clintons released through them during the early primaries.

[airforceF4]

Not with Novak’s driving record. In a Corvette, no less.
Get a driver, RN. D.C. is a crazy place in which to drive.

[ASA Vet]

but I don’t think he broke it.

Who did?

[jmaroneps37]

will and novak are right about things about once a month. This jerk is fooling himself.

[snowrip]

It ranges from the amusing (reporting that McCain’s campaign lifted recipes from the Food Network when he’s giving a major economic speech) to the strategic (popping up research on McCain’s opposition to a bill that included wind energy incentives when he’s about to give a speech at a turbine facility) to the eyebrow-raising (disclosing that Mitt Romney said at a private meeting that he would likely not appoint a Muslim cabinet member). In some cases, the stories incrementally move the anti-McCain message forward (by flagging an off-message Iraq statement by a McCain surrogate, for example). In others, the reporting scores broadside hits that inflict notable damage (such as posting controversial audio of Rev. John Hagee that would prompt McCain to finally renounce the pastor).

Riiiiiight. These liberal examples of serious investigative journalism have dealt a crushing blow, unlike the trifling puff pieces regarding Kerry's lies about his service record and lies during Congressional testimony, or about forged documents, completely fabricated stories and altered photos offered up by some of the world's largest news organizations. Likewise, a sitting president who lies under oath, Obama's falsified birth certificate, and John Edwards love child with his mistress are all hot air, and pale in comparison to the severe damage caused by the completely unbiased liberal media.

[stan_sipple]

what about the stories on BHO’s birt certificate?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

This author makes no sense.

Sitting around making up stories and swearing at clones who aren’t towing the line is “news reporting” ?

[McGruff]

...their counterparts on the left are taking advantage of the rise of new media to create new institutions devoted to unearthing stories, putting new information into circulation and generally crowding the space traditionally taken by traditional media.

Free Republic was here before anybody heard of bloggers, Daily Kaos, DU or HuffAndPuff Post. The author of this piece should have known that but he was probably still in diapers at the time.

[roses of sharon]

Wow, so the LIBERAL media, LIBERAL Hollywood, and LIBERAL academia, pick up “reporting” from LIBERAL web sites?

Who knew.

So how does this dingbat think any right-wing webs sites are supposed to get their reporting to air to the masses? Talk radio is obviously not enough.

The left has the monopoly, their liberal propaganda cartel is worldwide and extremely powerful.

[weegee]

Republicans have no lack of would-be George F. Wills. But what they really need are some more Robert D. Novaks.

PUKE. Clean up on article in post #1.

[popdonnelly]

This author has no clue.

I would worry more about the absence of conservatives in electoral politics.

[Luke21]

Great, Novak just ran a pedestrian, as reported on Fox last night.

[TAdams8591]

"This week, for example, a young liberal writer named Spencer Ackerman heard that McCain committed a gaffe on Iraq in an unaired portion of an interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric. Ackerman, a former reporter for The New Republic and The American Prospect who now blogs at the liberal Firedoglake site, posted the transcript and pointed out the relevant portion just after 5:00 pm Tuesday night."

Gaff's are made by all candidates and there are embarrassing moments for EVERY campaign. This is far different from what the swiftboaters revealed about Kerry.

Frankly, Obama is so well-liked revealing the petty mistakes, will blow up in the faces of Republicans.

Better to focus upon comments like 'Americans should learn Spanish, but the Spanish immigrants shouldn't have to learn English,' and his lies about his changing positions on the surge, as well as the practical effect his Marxist policies will have on the lives of average Americans and the positive reasons to vote for McCain (yes, there are some), as difficult as that may be.

[Ciexyz]

btt