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Why we need blogs as well as newspapers

Posted by Mathew @ 11:53 pm on October 11 2006 | |

I followed the recent dustup over some comments Mike Arrington of TechCrunch made at the recent Online News Association conference in Washington, but didn’t get a chance to write about them, in part because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say exactly. Mike made some inflammatory comments about traditional media, including the New York Times, and said that blogs were better, which raised some hackles and even drew some a critical response from Jeff Jarvis — no great friend of traditional media — and Staci from PaidContent.

Then I read something that Nick “The Prophet of Doom” Carr wrote about the event, and it got me thinking — and then I read a recent post from Huffington Post’s Eat The Press, and it got me thinking even more. I won’t recap all of Nick’s rather long-winded post (is he getting paid by the word?), but suffice it to say that he doesn’t think Mike should be throwing rocks because he didn’t disclose some conflicts involving his blog and the startup he’s involved in, called Edgeio. Then Nick says this:

Traditional journalism has its weaknesses, as any journalist will tell you, but it has many strengths as well, strengths that are hard-earned and worthy of respect. Many bloggers assume that blogging represents a step forward when, in important ways, it actually represents a step backward.

When it comes to conflicts of interest, or other questions of journalistic ethics, the proper attitude that we bloggers should take toward our counterparts in the traditional press is not arrogance but humility. In this area, as in others, blogs have far more to learn from newspapers than newspapers have to learn from blogs.

Typical Nick, right? Then I read this post from Eat The Press, which made a point of noting how many outlets — including the Washington Post — had ample evidence that Republican Congressman Mark Foley was sending inappropriate emails to young pages at the House of Representatives, but did nothing. A blogger published the emails, and then ABCnews.com did the story. And that’s not the only case of traditional media either canning or distorting a story, of course. The New York Times has several in its closet, including the Judith Miller affair.

So yes, bloggers have some things to learn from traditional media when it comes to disclosing conflicts. But traditional media darn well has plenty to learn from bloggers as well — and I for one am glad we have both.

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Mathew posted this article under Blogs, Media, Web2.0 on Wednesday, October 11th, 2006 at 11:53 pm. . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed, and you can also view Technorati Linkbacks or check for other responses using YackTrack.

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Comments for “Why we need blogs as well as newspapers”

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    What we need more than either Mark is some News. Newspapers - apart from the ads themselves - have become nothing more a big board for 'columnists', the spinsters and copywriters for Brand Whatever, persauding us to by into The Big Take on Things. (No offence, we need columnists, too, don't worry) I hear this from more people with no vested interest in these things - readers, in other words. Where's the news? I think these people are talking about two things here. One, the story, a lost art in newspaper reporting. Deadlines and efficiencies may be to blame here. Observing these readers I notice they will often find the stories in papers - those small little blurbs, vignettes, sketches. often buried - will seek these out and relate them. Two, the fullness of things or the essence of things. Often these people will read an item and remain dumbfounded - lengthy pieces that offer up nothing but more questions, which would be fine, if the story went on, the next day or in the next edition, but often it doesn't, it just drops out of sight. What's missing is the ongoingness of things. I'm not much on the ciitizen journo thing - it takes time talent resources and more guts than a lot of us pyjama wearers - we who like to think that we are all part of the socalled conversation - would ever admit. When bloggers put on some pants and shoes and go out the door and stop acting like columnists and newspapers start linking out to resources that allow for more thoughful consideration of These Things, then maybe 'readers' will benefit. Keep in mind reading is a participatory act in and of itself, we needn't always be comment or opinion ready.
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    Thanks for your thoughts, Brian. Those are some good points.
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    See, I'd never make a citizen journo I can't even get your name right never mind get out of my pjs. Sorry Mathew. I should never blog between coats of PolyStrippa.
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    • v
    Good advice :-)

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I'm a technology writer with The Globe and Mail in Toronto, and this is where I blog about things I come across on the Web. Feel free to leave a comment or use the contact form to send me an email.

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