Posted on 03/07/2005 12:05:22 AM PST by John Lenin
LOS ANGELES -- Practitioners of the high art of "mainstream" journalism, you may have noticed, are greatly interested in each other and their works. The self-fascination is such that many, if not most of us, begin the working day by calling up the same Web site: Poynter.org -- and then click on "Romenesko." "Your Daily Fix of Media Industry News, Commentary and Memos" is the identity line over a column written since 1999 for Poynter -- a high-class journalism institute in Florida -- by Jim Romenesko. If you're in the business, it's a good way to check whether you or your friends (or enemies) are in or out, up or down. It was, for instance, the place to go to read New York Times internal memos during the Jayson Blair unpleasantness.
More than anything, the Romenesko column is a kind of medical chart for a business hoping that our current temperature, aches and pains and problems -- technological, financial and moral -- are symptoms of a cold rather than pneumonia or worse. A staple of the column are serious speeches and interviews about our health.
There are good examples on the site right now, at least three worth mentioning: speeches by Gerald Seib of The Wall Street Journal and Susan Goldberg of the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, and an interview of the lieutenant governor of Maryland by the estimable Brian Lamb of C-SPAN.
Seib, now the Washington bureau chief of the Journal, gave the William Allen White Lecture last month at his alma mater, the University of Kansas.
"Briefly put," he said, "I fear that 2004 became the year when many Americans decided they could go out and get the news not as it is, but as they want it to be. Technology and the proliferation of pseudo news outlets on the Internet and cable TV have made this possible. Our country's intense political polarization has fed the urge. Mainstream journalism's own failings have fueled it."
He argues that ridiculing people who honestly believe abortion is morally wrong, or dismissing President Clinton (news - web sites)'s complaints about the coverage of his personal life, has done great damage to the legitimacy of the press's claims to serving the broadest public.
Goldberg, the executive editor of the Mercury News, a paper that rose to national prominence with its territory, Silicon Valley, and slipped back, many think, when its owners seemed to put profits before vigorous journalism, spoke at the National College Newspaper Convention two weeks ago, and read out fainter heartbeat numbers: "More than 80 percent of adults read a daily newspaper 40 years ago. Thirty years ago that had fallen to 72 percent. Twenty years ago, it was 65 percent. Ten years ago, it was 61 percent. Last year, it was hovering just above 50 percent."
You don't have to be Price-Waterhouse to figure out what that means: Change and survival are synonymous right now for many journals and journalistic operations. "We all either will embrace change," said Seib, "or get run over by it."
Goldberg played with some of the ideas out there, ideas that would remake or create a new "mainstream" press, telling the student editors that it was their destiny to reinvent: "Maybe the answer is bilingual newspapers ... Maybe it's news blogs that update all day and automatically download to your iPod ... Maybe we should arm reporters with video and audio equipment so the papers' Web sites can broadcast what they are doing as it happens ... Or allow readers to subscribe only to certain sections of the paper ... Or let them post and publish their own news."
Lamb's interview with Maryland's lieutenant governor, Michael Steele, was a sobering conversation. Like his superior, Gov. Robert Ehrlich, and like the current president of the United States, Steele argues that the press has no public role, that it is not part of the checks and balances scheme that has made America what it is. "They (reporters) were trying to tell the governor why, you know, why they had a right to ask questions," said Steele. "And he was telling them, well, you may have a right to ask questions, but I don't have to answer you."
"I have no use for them," Steele said of reporters. "... Doesn't matter to me."
"Have they been pounding on you?" asked Lamb. Steele answered: "Oh, every chance they get. That's -- who cares? Who cares?"
Well, we care, that is, the people who do this for a living. But we are not sure anymore what place there is for us. We check Romenesko every morning to see if we're still there.
This post brings the beginnings of a smile to my face. This week we are mostly rid of Dan Blather. Let the trend continue.
No wonder they're in such bad shape. Snicker.
Oops, I'm criticizing them, something they don't like us to do.
I check 'em 4 times a day...It is dominated by liberals and reflects their voice to a large extent.
For example, Rathergate got very, very little mention when it was noted that the documents were forgeries. Romenesko and the rest of the media was largely silent for days about the forgeries. After CBS admitted they couldn't verify the documents Romenesko and the others got on their high horse and joined in condemning CBS 'cause frankly they were indefensible (or is undefensible?).
That is a very interesting website - I will be checking it often.
Dropping is the new trend for lots of things.
Schadenfreude BUMP!!
bttt
Why bother? The Poynter Institute is just the voice of small "c' communism in Florida.
That "institute" holds controlling stock in the St. Pete Times - a paper with a very leftist orientation.
Though I will admit that there is amusement to be found in the midst of the floundering of the lamestream leaders.
Romenesko? Sure, it's a waste. Pure lib. Pure garbage. But so is the Murky News, as we call it out this way. It too is pure lib, militantly lib, and militantly pro-abortion, pro-alternative-lifestyle, you name it. I mean, militantly, categorically. That's why they can't sell their newspapers as the Dem counties go GOP, unless Ah-nold futzes it all up by handing redistricting over to a bunch of liberal/Dem appointed retired federal judges.
Me neither, espcially when they insult my ideology and intelligence on such a frequent basis.
Or when you've seen what you said distorted and twisted so far out of context that it makes you sick....
I've distrusted and hated reporters ever since the "Brady Bill," when I was interviewed by a KC reporter, Bev Chapman, who kept asking over and over again, "but what's wrong with a waiting period?" I kept saying that it wouldn't stop crimes, and it could potentially keep someone from being able to defend themselves. Finally, after being asked over and over again, I said, "I guess there isn't anything wrong with it, but it won't do anything to make people safer or deter crimes."
All they ran on TV was "I guess there isn't anything wrong with it."
I called the TV station the next day and demanded that they retract it, or at least, show it in context. The person I spoke with said, "Hey, you said it. And there's nothing you can do about it."
I haven't watched that channel's local news since.
Mark
Bravo, Michael Steele! He was very impressive at the Republican convention last year. We are truly blessed to have several strong black conservatives...Steele, Herman Cain, Blackwell of Ohio...and I hope the Republican Party will give them an opportunity to lead. Heaven knows they could take the place of several white RINOs.
The absolutely last guy to "get it" will be Tom Friedman of the New York Times oped page.
The "I man" uses the first person pronoun so often he obviously deep down believes it is really all about him. He is convinced he's a major "player," someone whose advice the world desperately needs.
Friedman, who likes to "explain" the modern world to his readers, doesn't understand that the free market of information and the free market of opinion has devalued him and his New York Times co-workers. People who have regular access to Victor Davis Hanson and Mark Steyn -- two stars of the web who've earned their reputations not by placement on the Times oped but the old fashioned way by thinking and writing well -- find the "I man's" delusions amusing. (Small bet: 90% of Friedman's dead tree readers have never heard of Hanson or Steyn.)
Tom we who live the 21st Century media know what you are and we find you pathetic.
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