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Are Bloggers Such Effective Media Counterweights?

Mar 23rd, 2007
by Dan Gillmor.

Jon Garfunkel, in The Talking Points Meme, challenges newly conventional wisdom about bloggers’ roles in reporting the federal prosecutor mess — and notes some sloppy journalism (and blogosphere self-congratulation) as the scandal developed.

Posted in: Blogging, Media Criticism, News.

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2 Comments on “Are Bloggers Such Effective Media Counterweights?”

  1. #1 laminar_flow
    on Mar 23rd, 2007 at 1:59 pm

    Will it mean bloggers would be legible for the Pulitzer prize?

    Will it mean having bloggers alocated at space at the White house lawn, Senate or Congressional hearings?

    Not necessarily. Blogs can change a nation/company/political party leadership.

  2. #2 Jon Garfunkel
    on Mar 25th, 2007 at 8:53 am

    Not that this has anything to do with the Talking Points Meme article, but I thought I’d answer your questions:

    1. The Pulitzer Prize for journalism is limited to newspapers. Even the best magazine article is ineligible. Instead, magazine articles can be considered for the National Magazine Awards by the American Society of Magazine Editors.

    2. Most political events in the U.S. are open to the public– Congressional Hearings included. Certainly, there are certain hearings, certain White House events where there is limited seating, so it is often left to Correspondents’ Associations to allocate seats. Here are the bylaws of the White House Correspondents’ Association. The membership criteria is agnostic to the media used– if it doesn’t matter between TV and newspapers, it doesn’t matter between webzine and blog– it only matters if the reporter regularly covers the White House.

    Garett Graff of the FishbowlDC blog was much heralded when he was the first “blogger” to get credentialed with the WHCA. His exit from FishbowlDC in May 2006 was less heralded.