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December 31, 2005

Second Thoughts On Kathleen Parker's Anti-Blog Screed
— Ace

Q & O pauses to take a breath before writing (not my own personal style, but whatever works for ya), and decides that Parker isn't as off-base as some (like me) alleged.

In particular, he notes that a lot of her criticisms -- of juvenile name-calling, narcisstic seeking of attention, sloppy analysis and fact-checking, etc. -- are in fact true of many blogs, and most blogs on occasion, like, for example, the one you're reading right now. Or many of the left-wing blogs (an update to his post notes Atrios as a culprit, though I'm not sure how "Open Thread" can be subject to any sort of substantive criticism).

I think Q & O makes some good points, and perhaps there is more room for self-criticism on my part.

But I do think one point stands: For an article about the shrillness, incivility, and nastiness of blogs, Kathleen Parker -- MSM Member in Good Standing, and Don't You Forget It -- sure seemed to turn out some shrill, incivil, and nasty copy.

Which is one of my pet peeves regarding MSM criticism of blogs: They tend to accuse of sins they excuse in themselves. Partisanship? Reinforcement of the "bubble" of like-minded thought? Snarkiness? Shrillness? Attention-seeking? Attacking people for personal gain? Lapeses in accuracy, accountablity, and objectivity? Yep, Pardner, the MSM exhibits all these in spades.

I can't really blame any of my personal flaws on my parents, but, in this particular case, I'll just say to the MSM: Don't like what your children have become? Well, Mom and Dad, we learned it all from you.

Posted by: Ace at 11:20 AM | Comments (8)
Post contains 279 words, total size 2 kb.

1 It's all the fault of that "free speech" crap they teach in the high schools. I can tell ya' this didn't happen back in my day. If you didn't have a j-school diploma you weren't allowed to express an opinion and we liked it that way.

Now get the hell off of my lawn you hooligans!

Posted by: Uncle Walter at December 31, 2005 11:24 AM (AlU3k)

2 Well, Mom and Dad, we learned it all from you.What is this, an anti-drug ad?

"We learned it from watching you!"

Posted by: someone at December 31, 2005 11:30 AM (F7ifH)

3 There is one fundamental glaring difference between this blog, and my own for that matter, and the MSM. I have noticed when you get a fact wrong and someone calls you on it, you simply update on the front page, acknowledge, and move on.

Whereas the jack-ass media hides, denies and lies. It's a big difference in my book. Admitting you're wrong takes nads, and for what it's worth I think conservatives are somewhat better at acknowledging their own errors.

mmm....nads+vodka, is this the Ace lifestyle i've heard so much about?

Posted by: Jake Jacobsen at December 31, 2005 01:20 PM (MT4/3)

4 is this the Ace lifestyle i've heard so much about?

You forgot the pudding!!

Posted by: Madfish Willie at December 31, 2005 03:47 PM (SyfL7)

5 Just as a response from a member of the MSM (albeit one without a journalism degree) in a top-50 market- note well that the criticism of blogs mainly comes from NYC journalists... you wouldn't believe the disconnect between the home offices of any of the networks and us in affiliate-land.

Even within the MSM, the condescension towards anyone who isn't working in NYC is astonishing. I can only speak for my market (forgive me if I don't say where, mainly for some hope of semi-anonymity) in noting that the four stations here have started or are beginning shortly with blogs, and that the producers around here make for damn sure they check a select group of blogs to balance out what we run. We can't do much about what comes down from the network, but we at least try to keep it real in our viewing area. And, frankly, when we're wrong, we get to publicly take a big bite of the big ol' shit sandwich. And we have three nice aggressive competitors, local radio, papers, and gloriously aggressive bloggers to help feed it to us if we do.

Blogs are the future, even within the MSM... and thank God for them. The number of story ideas that come from blogs is higher than I can count, and frankly, the levity that many (particularly Ace) provide is gratifying amidst a culture of negativity that seems to pervade national media as a whole. Our idea of balance seems to be negativity on anything. We seem to find a way to make puppies frolicking in a field a bad thing.

Oh well, anyway, thanks all... Happy New Year, and stay safe.

tmi3rd

Posted by: tmi3rd at December 31, 2005 05:01 PM (bXBug)

6 The local CBS affiliate (independently owned) covers blogging regularly on it's early evening edition. It's a segment called Blog Spot and it's a round up of blogger views on popular topics of the day. My own blog has been quoted several times.

They don't have to embrace blogging, but they'd better learn to deal with it.

Posted by: digitalbrownshirt at December 31, 2005 05:23 PM (AlU3k)

7 To Kathleen Parker and MSM "remove the plank from your eye before you try to remove the mote from the bloggers eye". Hypocrite!!!

Posted by: docdave at January 01, 2006 07:27 AM (wURno)

8 Rob Denton, Chanel Watches managing director Dvd Box Sets and vice Dofus Kamas

Posted by: Gaia Gold at July 31, 2009 11:48 PM (yG2FS)

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