Questions that must be asked, despite the fact I’ve yet to catch tonight’s episode of True Blood.
1. Why is the chairman the Young Republicans 38 years old?
A question I’ve seen asked a few times tonight, on a forum, a blog, and in a post lamenting on Cronkite’s passing.
2. Are bloggers journalists?
Answer: No. Please people you are not journalists, no matter how hard you try to “brand” yourself as such. Chances are, given there are millions of bloggers, you’re probably not an expert in anything either. So, unless you’ve actually done something in real life to claim that title, please stop writing about whatever it is you constantly write about, at least until you do something to give yourself some credibility. ( I tell myself this daily weekly. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’s got to start somewhere, might as well be with me)
Technology is great. We are constantly linked to a world of information, but the connection is garbled. An inchoate mass of interminable commentary leaves us floating on an enormous cloud of information. The only problem is it’s overwhelmingly bad, or non, information. It’s so bad in fact we should probably call this time the non information age. While we’re in the clouds, the substance is deep in the ground. So few really use shovels anymore.
3. What is so great about Harry Potter?
I went rock climbing this morning. We left at 5 AM. I wasn’t thinking about how tired I was, or how late I had gone to sleep the night before.
4. My last question, given the fact that my arms and legs feel like jelly, I have a bruise the size of grapefruit on my left thigh, and I once more think I’m actually going to be asleep (this happens way too often lately) before 12:30 in the morning – something I despise doing, is why?
peace
I have a bruise the size of a grapefruit on my right ankle, coincidentally enough.
I’m not sure I agree about bloggers practicing journalism. I suspect bloggers who want to be treated and paid like professional writers, opinionators or journalists will need to follow professional standards, but not every blog or blogger aspires to that and I’d like to think those of us who are just messing around can get away with it.
Counter-example: Ezra Klein. How that dude gets away with it baffles me entirely. So if you mean, don’t be Ezra Klein if you want to be paid for punditry, I agree. There won’t be many of him, I don’t think.
Rest in peace, Walter Cronkite. I was sad to hear of his passing but at least I can stop hoping for him to come back and straighten those folks out.
.-= Doug´s last blog ..The Reformation of Wolfshausen =-.
Wow, Doug I hate to say it but I wondered the same thing about him. I actually had a discussion last week in a cafe in GT with someone about this. I read him on and off at AP and wonder at the wapo hiring someone his age with absolutely no life experience but punditry and (I guess) a love following health care. Some of his stuff even I know is totally off base.
I can’t believe I agree with you on something so completely.
I think more about those blog sites geared toward g y’ers with people babbling on about things they obviously know nothing about. And of course my blog. ;)
I think the blogger / journalist line is becoming more and more blurred. There are certainly some (Talking Points Memo for example) that clearly put forth well researched information, and others are just web-based op/ed pages.
On the flip side, I see more and more journalists taking on the mentality of a blogger, and allowing their own opinions to come through in their writings more than ever before. A lot of journalism has become the various wire services (AP, etc), and anytime a human becomes involved, it changes into something else.
.-= Norcross´s last blog ..New Career = New Parent? =-.
yeah, there is a world of difference Talking Points is no longer what i consider a blog they it is a fine organization at this point in time.
I think going back to some basic journalistic ethics would be helpful. It’s just unfortunate that so many people, especially people my age see something and hope on it as a story without doing any basic background work. I see it a lot even from bloggers I really like.
I think very few bloggers are journalists. Very, very few. I know I’m not a journalist.
The Young Repubs are pretty much non-existent. After watching this, I don’t know how they aren’t Revolutionizing the world.
.-= Chris´s last blog ..Sanford Keeps Walk With God at Forefront =-.
I thought that was kind of representative though. lol
It always irks me a little when I search Google News for something and one of the results is a blog.
As for Harry Potter, I have never read a page, nor seen a second. (Same goes for Lord Of The Rings. I always group them together in my mind, for some reason.)
However, there is a kid next door who rides his bike in the parking lot. He has a bowl haircut and these big round thick-rimmed glasses.
I call him Harry Potter.
.-= Bone´s last blog ..Short shorts =-.
What does he call you?
Most bloggers get carried away putting out information they don’t check or have no knowledge of, that is the biggest problem. I don’t care if they post their opinions I just wish the opinions would be more informed.
I’ve skirted past the 30 recently, somewhere in the back of my mind I can almost see 38 being about right. ;)
.-= jacob´s last blog ..Cink Wins but so does Watson =-.
You aren’t anywhere near that but my grandmother would probably call them infants.
I agree with you.
The people below us in generations, and even our generation in some cases, don’t know what real reporting or real news is, like you said it’s all mixed up, that is the problem.
Discerning opinion from fact, nothing wrong with opinion if it’s based on fact, you do a good job with this. Deciding what is newsworthy is part of the mess because there is access to so much.
I like watching clips of old newsmen, back in the day when they only reported what I consider real news and weren’t interested in the fluff.
.-= jake´s last blog ..Bullpens and Baltimore =-.
You should I’m always right. ;)
I used to watch old Cronkite stuff because my father made it a point to show me what real news was. It will however have to change and learn to adjust to technology while still maintaining it integrity. I hope anyway.
This is citizen journalism.—
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/news_notes/dal_lamagna_a_new_caliber_of_citizen_journalist_122076.asp?c=rss–
You better stop rock climbing, next time it could be those lovely white teeth.
.-= john´s last blog ..Neutral Man’s Burden Link =-.
You are right. I saw that earlier, are they on your reader too?
I don’t think most bloggers are going to go that far to make themselves relevant though.
That’s why I only blog about black dresses.
The other thing that annoys me is that stumbled upon does not have an education category, or a category separating bio science from technology, or a seperate category for blogs, and categories so that Africa and Asia and the Middle East are separated into their own countries not all lumped into one.
Like bloggers, stumble thinks it’s all one and the same, there is no hope I tell ya.
.-= kait´s last blog ..The Uniform Project =-.
Glad I used today to look up new blogs…Saturdays are great for that haha.
Thanks!
Jeff
amazing post