Defining the Blogosphere, "Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters"
This hit the NY Times a little under an hour ago and should make a splash in the blogoshpere tomorrow.
The New York Times > Technology > Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters
It's an article regarding the resignation of Eason Jordan, the chief news executive at CNN, after bloggers made a hotbed of activity around his comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, regarding the death of journalists in Iraq by fire from US soldiers.
The article stirs interest from the title that frames its story, "Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters," to its end quote, "Mr. Abovitz...said he hoped bloggers could develop loftier goals than destroying people's careers. 'If you're going to do this open-source journalism, it should have a higher purpose," he said. "At times it did seem like an angry mob, and an angry mob using high technology, that's not good.'"
The article continues developing the question on everyone's (or at least my) mind lately, "who's creating reality these days, anyway?"
The power of citizen journalism is increasing at breakneck speeds as evidenced by the 2nd major media career it has taken in the last five months.
Former Wall Street Journal editor and current managing editor of The Columbia Journalism Review's website, CJR Daily, Steve Lovelady, apparently eager for the voracious attention of the blogoshpere, is quoted in the article with this to say about the Jordan fiasco:
"The salivating morons who make up the lynch mob prevail."
Which salivating morons in particular Mr. Lovelady is speaking of i have yet to find out, but i'll be sure to stay tuned as the story unfolds.
In general, i think this article, especially with its place in the NY Times, brings to a head the on-going conversation about new media and the boundaries of reality definition. Whether or not Eason Jordon or Dan Rather should have stepped down from their positions, the fact that bloggers and citizen journalism in general is gaining such power is worthy of attention.
This whole thing recalls a recent conversation in which my friend Kiela informed me that in some states, the missionary position is only the missionary position if the blinds are closed. In that case, like the Narcotics Acts of 1927 and the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, once that concept was written into law, hundreds of thousands of people became criminals overnight. And if you didn't believe you were a criminal for smoking a joint or sexing it up with the blinds up, the gun in the hands of a police officer would help you to believe. Someone else's imagination can become your reality just like that.
Now, as topics in the blogosphere take aim at new targets, the position of open source citizen journalism is being endlessly defined. Trophy hunters of responsible journalists. The NY Times, Steve Lovelady, and many from the blog universe have already begun weighing in with their opinions. I for one, will keep in mind that there are horses of many colors in this world and hope for the rallying together of intelligent citizen media to create worthwhile results in the world. The question i'm signing off on tonight is, "What is the best use of these new media tools?"
The New York Times > Technology > Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters
It's an article regarding the resignation of Eason Jordan, the chief news executive at CNN, after bloggers made a hotbed of activity around his comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, regarding the death of journalists in Iraq by fire from US soldiers.
The article stirs interest from the title that frames its story, "Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters," to its end quote, "Mr. Abovitz...said he hoped bloggers could develop loftier goals than destroying people's careers. 'If you're going to do this open-source journalism, it should have a higher purpose," he said. "At times it did seem like an angry mob, and an angry mob using high technology, that's not good.'"
The article continues developing the question on everyone's (or at least my) mind lately, "who's creating reality these days, anyway?"
The power of citizen journalism is increasing at breakneck speeds as evidenced by the 2nd major media career it has taken in the last five months.
Former Wall Street Journal editor and current managing editor of The Columbia Journalism Review's website, CJR Daily, Steve Lovelady, apparently eager for the voracious attention of the blogoshpere, is quoted in the article with this to say about the Jordan fiasco:
"The salivating morons who make up the lynch mob prevail."
Which salivating morons in particular Mr. Lovelady is speaking of i have yet to find out, but i'll be sure to stay tuned as the story unfolds.
In general, i think this article, especially with its place in the NY Times, brings to a head the on-going conversation about new media and the boundaries of reality definition. Whether or not Eason Jordon or Dan Rather should have stepped down from their positions, the fact that bloggers and citizen journalism in general is gaining such power is worthy of attention.
This whole thing recalls a recent conversation in which my friend Kiela informed me that in some states, the missionary position is only the missionary position if the blinds are closed. In that case, like the Narcotics Acts of 1927 and the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, once that concept was written into law, hundreds of thousands of people became criminals overnight. And if you didn't believe you were a criminal for smoking a joint or sexing it up with the blinds up, the gun in the hands of a police officer would help you to believe. Someone else's imagination can become your reality just like that.
Now, as topics in the blogosphere take aim at new targets, the position of open source citizen journalism is being endlessly defined. Trophy hunters of responsible journalists. The NY Times, Steve Lovelady, and many from the blog universe have already begun weighing in with their opinions. I for one, will keep in mind that there are horses of many colors in this world and hope for the rallying together of intelligent citizen media to create worthwhile results in the world. The question i'm signing off on tonight is, "What is the best use of these new media tools?"
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