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MayB
I don't think you can say that about bloggers just yet. Until blogging becomes a viable option for writers, the vast majority of them are amateurs. IN MY OPINION.
posted by
Joe_Love
on October 8, 2005 at 7:03 AM
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MayB
I like the news, but it can get depressing. There is a lot of good being done out there, but I'm sure if it were reported that it wouldn't be nearly as watched.
posted by
avant-garde
on October 5, 2005 at 1:46 PM
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Militarywife, I try too. I have a strong sense of fair play but there are some topics it is impossible to be objective about
posted by
Azur
on October 5, 2005 at 5:08 AM
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Chaotic, yes Gubby. I look beyond the headlines as it is the hidden gems within text which are most telling
posted by
Azur
on October 5, 2005 at 5:00 AM
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terpgirl30, a pleasure to see you again. Edna Buchanan sounds like one of those characters that we don't see enough of any more. There is a lot of discussion about intrusion of the press but in some cases it's what people want. Inspiring story.
posted by
Azur
on October 5, 2005 at 4:59 AM
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I don't bother to read much more than the headlines usually.
Seeing what's in front of me, I reckon that overall the world is a fairly happy place. Chaotic, certainly.
posted by
Gubby
on October 5, 2005 at 12:23 AM
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Objectivity
Is fairly limited these days isn't it. I ahve to admit that while I make an effort to be objective, I am not so great with certain things, some things are all to personal for me.
posted by
Bel_
on October 4, 2005 at 6:45 PM
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MayB--
ooooh, your post was great, but that last line was killer!
posted by
Julia.
on October 4, 2005 at 6:17 PM
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May and Dave
First, I want to weigh in on the smelly bloggers...and I mean weigh in, literally. I a'gin them. Sorry. There are lines you don't cross. Phoebe could make a smelly cat endearing...but smelly bloggers...not much to write home about.
Seriously, my reporting specialty was crime and law enforcement. There are several ways to look at this. One is from the outside, the other from a much more personal point of view. My grandfather was murdered in the '70s. He didn't get a paragraph. I still resent that. He mattered.
The real test is a woman named Edna Buchanan, my personal and professional hero. She pioneered the field of crime reporting at the Miami Herald. Her take was that EVERY life had a story that should be told. Her non fiction books are eerie and read like fiction. The most telling point of what should and shouldn't appear is an anecdote Edna told about a vacation she took. She rarely did since she describes Miami as the town where "the gun never sets". Well, she took a week. On the way back to normal life, she checked up on murders that had happened. She stopped in on a family on her way home. A woman answered the door. "I've been waiting for you to come. I knew you'd come," she told Edna. This was part of the woman's closure. Edna was a conduit in telling the world how her loved one's life mattered.
Done correctly, it's sad, it's gut wrenching, and it's a thing that embodies humanity at its best in the strangest of ways.
posted by
terpgirl30
on October 4, 2005 at 3:48 PM
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It depends on the smell Dave Cryer. Socks are OK
posted by
Azur
on October 4, 2005 at 3:20 PM
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Sometimes I think
that we get far too much news, good, bad, indifferent. I wish people would watch less news and read more books!
posted by
MerryAnne
on October 4, 2005 at 12:20 PM
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May, what about smelly bloggers?
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on October 4, 2005 at 12:12 PM
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Pat B, I don't doubt that even in those early days of print that members of the common herd (who could read) were not over-awed by everything they read. It is good that everyone has access these days although somehow we must make our way through it all
posted by
Azur
on October 4, 2005 at 11:45 AM
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in the beginning
only the educated (men) had the leisure and the education to read and write. With Gutenberg's printing press, the "unwashed masses" got access to great (and not-so-great) writers and thinkers. Then, those of us in the common herd started thinking for ourselves, and writing what we think. Next thing you know, up comes the internet and Blogit, and we're learning how to sift the good nuggets of information out of the dust of opinion, conjecture and fantasy... It's all good...
posted by
Pat_B
on October 4, 2005 at 11:40 AM
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Jojostar, that's true. My radar is switched to high alert
posted by
Azur
on October 4, 2005 at 11:02 AM
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MayB
I too found this post interesting. I had not thought much about it before. Blogger or journalist, it's still difficult to know who to believe these days.
posted by
jojostar
on October 4, 2005 at 5:44 AM
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Masky, glad that the post appealed.
I think it is easy for bloggers to underestimate the value of training and experience that many reporters have attained. Of course it is difficult for anyone to understand something unless they have walked the walk.
I mean I could spend a few weeks in a hospital but it would not mean I was a nurse or doctor.
posted by
Azur
on October 4, 2005 at 12:34 AM
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Ginnieb, thanks, there is good and bad news which fails to make the cut every day. It all depends on what else is out there.
posted by
Azur
on October 4, 2005 at 12:27 AM
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Flame-thrower, bonjour to you. Merci. Yes it's true about news versus analysis particularly in print. It is not feasible to fill every page and bulletin with breaking news.
I have noticed a few comments across Blogit saying that the media should stick to the facts and not do analysis. However, I believe that good analysis is factual and comes from people who follow events closely and have specialist knowledge is absolutely vital to an informed debate. It also serves as a check on politicians and public servants - ie the fourth estate.
posted by
Azur
on October 4, 2005 at 12:26 AM
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Your piece this morning was a great contribution to an on going debate on whether bloggers have now become full-fledged reporters or are more objective. While I don't think bloggers in general can replace the traditional media, I nonetheless, think they will become competitors and only those that satisfy the demands of the consumers shall survive. By the way, while accepting with you that providing facts versus analysis are both integral parts of news coverage, don't you think that, these days reporters make more analysis than core news reporting? Thank you and Good morning from France.
posted by
Flame-thrower
on October 4, 2005 at 12:12 AM
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food for thought mayb!
posted by
littlemspickles
on October 3, 2005 at 11:18 PM
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I've often wondered MayB...
...where the rest of the bad news fades when one bad news report takes all the air time. I also like your analogy of bad bloggers and bad 70s music! Very true!
posted by
ginnieb
on October 3, 2005 at 7:36 PM
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Mayb...why, I believe you're absolutely correct. I've never looked at
bloggers as reporters, but in hind sight there are many among us. Many who use "sensationalism" as a tactic. Many who provide fact and neutral opinions. And of course, many who speak without credentials. Very intersting twist you've put on blogging! I really enjoyed your perspective!
posted by
Masky
on October 3, 2005 at 7:28 PM
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