Comments on: Washington Politicians, Journalists Now Protect the Govt. Lawbreakers They Aided and Abetted http://citmedia.org/blog/2009/01/15/washington-politicians-journalists-now-protect-the-govt-lawbreakers-they-aided-and-abetted/ Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:49:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jon Garfunkel http://citmedia.org/blog/2009/01/15/washington-politicians-journalists-now-protect-the-govt-lawbreakers-they-aided-and-abetted/comment-page-1/#comment-2926 Jon Garfunkel Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:05:02 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/?p=1646#comment-2926 Wouldn't you know it, on Thursday Glenn interviewed Jay for Salon Radio! (<a href="http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/radio/2009/01/16/rosen/index1.html" rel="nofollow">transcript</a>) Here's the core of the exchange: GG: "...So, in terms of what blogs are doing in that regard, does that undermine in a meaningful way, the media's hold on dominant public discourse?..." JR: "...It's a much more open game than it was, and more and more I think journalists are influenced by actors who would have been silent in the sphere of deviance before, and now have a lot more tools at their disposal, and journalists themselves, at least some of the smarter ones, are readers of the blogosphere, and they themselves use it to correct the narrative they get from the press, and it's simply a messier but more interesting and varied world now..." From Jay: "Journalists ... use [new tools] to correct the narrative they get from the press." But they are the press...? I guess it comes down to this. What is the net effect of Glenn and Jay? I'd say motivating ordinary blogger-activists. Will it change "establishment journalism"? Probably not, EJ's are still trying to convey what the establishment thinks, lest the common-tariat get false hopes. Should public opinion be swayed by EJ? Probably not totally. What will ultimately change establishment journalism? Economics. Wouldn’t you know it, on Thursday Glenn interviewed Jay for Salon Radio! (transcript) Here’s the core of the exchange:

GG: “…So, in terms of what blogs are doing in that regard, does that undermine in a meaningful way, the media’s hold on dominant public discourse?…”

JR: “…It’s a much more open game than it was, and more and more I think journalists are influenced by actors who would have been silent in the sphere of deviance before, and now have a lot more tools at their disposal, and journalists themselves, at least some of the smarter ones, are readers of the blogosphere, and they themselves use it to correct the narrative they get from the press, and it’s simply a messier but more interesting and varied world now…”

From Jay: “Journalists … use [new tools] to correct the narrative they get from the press.” But they are the press…?

I guess it comes down to this. What is the net effect of Glenn and Jay? I’d say motivating ordinary blogger-activists. Will it change “establishment journalism”? Probably not, EJ’s are still trying to convey what the establishment thinks, lest the common-tariat get false hopes. Should public opinion be swayed by EJ? Probably not totally. What will ultimately change establishment journalism? Economics.

]]> By: Seth Finkelstein http://citmedia.org/blog/2009/01/15/washington-politicians-journalists-now-protect-the-govt-lawbreakers-they-aided-and-abetted/comment-page-1/#comment-2925 Seth Finkelstein Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:26:38 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/?p=1646#comment-2925 Then when would it be fair to assess it right or wrong? Then when would it be fair to assess it right or wrong?

]]> By: Dan Gillmor http://citmedia.org/blog/2009/01/15/washington-politicians-journalists-now-protect-the-govt-lawbreakers-they-aided-and-abetted/comment-page-1/#comment-2924 Dan Gillmor Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:44:29 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/?p=1646#comment-2924 There's no contradiction from my perspective. Over time the Net will weaken the authority of the press. We're just not there yet. There’s no contradiction from my perspective. Over time the Net will weaken the authority of the press. We’re just not there yet.

]]> By: Jon Garfunkel http://citmedia.org/blog/2009/01/15/washington-politicians-journalists-now-protect-the-govt-lawbreakers-they-aided-and-abetted/comment-page-1/#comment-2923 Jon Garfunkel Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:30:21 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/?p=1646#comment-2923 Help me out here. If, as Brother Jay says, "the Internet weakens the authority of the press," why is Brother Glenn so exasperated about the persistent power of the "establishment media" to establish the agenda? It's possible that there are some dissenters in the press. But to Greenwald, there is "virtual unanimity." So much for the nuance that database-backed websites could provide... Time for the <a href="http://civilities.net/HearsayNetwork" rel="nofollow">Hearsay Network</a>, after 4 years of first floating the idea? Help me out here.
If, as Brother Jay says, “the Internet weakens the authority of the press,” why is Brother Glenn so exasperated about the persistent power of the “establishment media” to establish the agenda?

It’s possible that there are some dissenters in the press. But to Greenwald, there is “virtual unanimity.” So much for the nuance that database-backed websites could provide…

Time for the Hearsay Network, after 4 years of first floating the idea?

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