My thoughts on the current state of blogging, both the serious sites and the ones that are tongue in cheek or comedic in nature. It doesn't seem like such a long time ago that the daily newspaper was the family choice for gathering news about what was going on in their local communities. The TV news where we went for national and international news and sports information. Then came the cable revolution and niche channels came into our living rooms. If you wanted sports highlights, you didn't have to wait for the last three minutes of the 11:00 news broadcast, you could turn on this crazy, new channel called ESPN and get highlights every few hours.
The came the Internet and newspapers, magazines, radio and TV have all struggled to compartmentalize their content to capture a share of the browsers. Then came the phenomena called blogging and the world of MSM has never been the same since.
All these changes have done is allowed people the freedom to choose what is relevant to them as far as what they want to read and listen too and when they want to listen to it. We see the same phenomena with cell phones and individualized ring tones. The company or industry that doesn't adapt is relegated to the dustbin of American corporate history beside the Pony Express. Unfortunately, the old-line sports media appears to be going in that direction, albeit kicking and screaming all the way.
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FROM DEADSPIN: BOB COSTAS, BILL CONLIN, TONY KORNHISER, DAN SHAUGNESSY SUMMARY OF BLOG-HATERS
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/another-sad-day-for-the-guys-who-hate-bloggers-16645
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The percent of people who get their information solely from TV and/or a newspaper decreases by the day. Nowadays, you can't create your own stories any more or attempt to mold the world to fit your own agenda and expect to maintain any sort of credibility.
Can you imagine a more anti-American position to take than to be an advocate against the freedom of choice? But that is exactly what the MSM (Mainstream Media) as personified by the recent comments in sports by Costas, Conlin, et.al. against the proliferation of bloggers, especially in sports.
In the first place I will put up the position on the matter of the late, great Milton Friedman against all others on the matter and be perfectly comfortable.
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http://www.american.com/archive/2007/february-0207/milton-friedman-technology-maven
Excerpts from Milton Friedman: Rightful Patron Saint of Blogging:
The beauty of blogging is self regulation at its very best.
The “blogosphere” is like a little experimental universe validating consumer choice vs. regulation—and consumer choice has won a colossal victory.
Left to the free market of ideas and instant reader feedback, good writing, quality and reliability in blogging secures a readership and reputation solely on merit.
Friedman should be the patron saint of the Age of Blogging: people with brains, networks, and powers of self-expression don't wait for journalism degrees anymore to have an impact.
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Comically, the same media that would question the credibility at bloggers by claiming the information is not vetted or credible comes from those who give us this type of behavior:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-13-media-mix_x.htm
Posted 4/13/2005 10:12 PM
Will Albom's woes taint journalism?
Mitch Albom, the celebrated Detroit Free Press sports columnist who has been suspended for fudging facts in a recent piece, has a bigger name as one of the nation's best-selling authors
But Albom, who has been with the Free Press for 20 years, is taking a lashing from fellow journalists. They say he has revived the question of journalistic integrity after instances of deception by staffers at several major news outlets, including USA TODAY, The New York Times and CBS News.
Free Press editors didn't change Albom's copy. Now they and Albom are under investigation by the newspaper.
I guess you know what they see about people who live in glass houses. And I happen to like Mitch Albom, I think he's one of the best writers out there. It just goes to show that it can happen to the best of them. I just wonder why these guys feel so threatened by others out there who are just trying to mimic what they do and have a little bit of fun at the same time.
I guess I missed the part where the "real" Yankees felt threatened by Billy Crystal's at-bat or felt anything but honored or flattered by it or by him wanting to do it or the team for accommodating him.
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FROM THE SPORTS PICKLE: A MORE HUMOROUS LOOK AT BLOGGING
http://www.sportspickle.com/features/volume7/2008-0227-basement.html
Unemployed Journalist Forced to Move Into His Mom’s Basement
Washington Times sports reporter Terry Corman will be forced to move into his mom’s basement after budget cuts at the paper left him without a job.
“The Internet and all of those bloggers are killing the newspaper industry,” says Corman. “It’s a plague. Who reads that crap anyway? I can write a wrap-up article of a college baseball game with the best of them. But no one wants that sort of important sports news anymore. I guess it just goes to show how stupid the public has become.”
Unable to find another paper looking to hire a college baseball – and, in a pinch, college softball and tennis – reporter, Corman has been forced to put his house on the market and will move into his mother’s basement next week.
(click hyperlink to see entire story)
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