Posted on 03/02/2005 5:56:23 AM PST by Valin
Swarming and Reforming The Strib?
I reserved the name "SwarmingtheStrib.com" today. I have in mind an experiment. Perhaps it will grow legs. Perhaps not. Here's the idea.
The worst major newspaper in terms of bias and chronic inaccuracy and axe-grinding is of course the Los Angeles Times. But among the second tier papers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune is as rotten a combination of no-talent tenured editorialists, biased reporters, and make-it-up-pollsters as anywhere in the United States. Combine this in-the-left-ditch daily with Minnesota Public Radio, and it is amazing that any Republican gets elected in the Gopher State, much less the governor, a U.S. Senator and a bunch of congressmen.
The paper has no conscience whatsoever when it comes to fairness or accuracy, and until the rise of the blogs, no checking mechanism existed.
But that's all different now, and the repeated poundings the absurd columnist Nick Coleman has taken from the Fraters gang, Powerline, Mitch, King and Ed etc have rendered him a running joke with a keyboard and an unbreakable contract.
So it occurred to me: Why not do for the entire miserable paper what has been done for Nick? In a word: accountability.
What, I thought, would be the result if enough bloggers from across the country agreed to be part of a "swarm the Strib to reform the Strib" project? Collect at one web site a daily digest of commentary on the lapses in objectivity and logic and the flights of lefty fancy that the paper daily indulges. If there were enough blogger volunteers, two or three could be assigned "beats," say, the second editorial every Tuesday and Thursday, or the political reporting of Washington bureau correspondent Paul Sand or politics reporters Dane Smith and Kevin Duchschere. Not every article would be a hack job, of course, and the idea of instant and certain accountability as to facts and choice of subject might even temper some of the ideological zeal of the Strib's troops. Especially if the web site also made it easy to contact Strib management and Strib advertisers.
I am suggesting an "anti-Strib," a virtual newspaper of sorts, the journalistic equivalent of a shadow government.
What do you think?
First we'd need an accomplished web-master/blogger who would accept the posts from the various "correspondents," vet them for accuracy, and post them. (Perhaps this heavy-lifter would get prominent linkage to their own blog, or, if there is blog ad revenue, the big slice of the pie?) Then we'd need various blogger volunteers who would be willing to take on assignments and execute (as opposed to complaining that they didn't get Nick Coleman. The Fraters guys get Nick Coleman because you shouldn't have to ask for what you already own.)
Well, that's my idea. It would take at least a couple of dozen of willing bloggers and a web master. Send me you thoughts or sign-ups at hugh@hughhewitt.com.
No, you don't need to live in Minnesota. You just need to be able to recognize lousy, biased reporting and writing. When it comes to the Strib, that's not hard at all.
This sounds like a pretty good idea.
Heard that on Hugh's show yesterday. I have been thinking about "Swarming the Bee" Here in the Sacramento area.
I love it. I won't even accept free subscription offers from the red star whenever they try to inflate their numbers, and when the solicitors ask why not I tell them "John Derus."
I once took a bible study at Mt. Olivet many many years ago, after at coffee I was talking to some people one of them said she worked at the Star Tribune. I asked her why they were so loony left? You'd thought I dropped my pants and mooned her by the look I got.
LIFE...IS...GOOD
http://www.citypages.com/databank/18/869/article3697.asp
You might find this article interesting.
I read the Pioneer Press on a semi-regular basis, and I used to actually read Coleman's idiotic ramblings until I couldn't take it any longer and stopped reading his column. Then one day he wasn't in the Press anymore, and I wondered where'd he'd gone. When I picked up a copy of the Strib, which I will do for my liberal daughter-in-law, some time ago, I noticed Coleman's idiocies in it. "So, that's where the moron went" I thought to myself. Not that the Press doesn't have it's share of liberal morons. But at least I didn't have to look at Coleman's ugly mug anymore as I went through the pages of the Press.
FYI Nickboy now has his very own talkshow on (SHOCK) Air America. so if you ever feel the need to be sick in the morning you can tune him in.
Just yesterday at Rainbow foods some kid was handing-out free Stribs. I love looking these clowns in the face and saying "No thanks, comrade. I'd rather eat flaming chunks of broken glass than read that POS".
I like their box scores, their movie listings, SOME of their comics, I like to use them as a reverse barometer. If they're in favor of something it HAS to be wrong.
I told one of their telemarketers I wouldn't paper train a puppy on the Strb. She apparently didn't appreciate my humor, because she hung up on me. The Strib is left (waaaaaay left) of Lenin on just about everything under the sun!
I say blog it out of existence.
The thing is the telemarketer is probably just some person working for minimum wage for a company hired by the red star. Better to just say NO.
Sorry, but SHE called ME, unbidden and uninvited. She was pushing hard to get me to subscribe. I wasn't mean to her, and yes, she was just doing her job. But I despise the Strib and refuse to give them my money. I hope I wasn't alone in my sentiments, and that she got an earful from others as well. And I hope those comments were relayed up the food chain to the marketing dept. The Red Star & Sickle must make its editors read The Communist Manifesto and Mao's litte Red Book daily.
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