Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Big Media’s 40 Days and 40 Nights

Hugh Hewitt’s latest offering, and in my opinion, one of his better articles in a while. This time: how the blogosphere has changed the flow of news and information.

SITTING ACROSS from the very pleasant Soledad O'Brien, I got the impression that she had been well briefed and may even have dipped in my new book Blog, but I was certain by interview's end that she was not an enthusiast of the blogosphere. I'd had the same feeling upon completion of a four way conversation on Fox & Friends a couple of hours earlier, though the trio there was just as pleasant and welcoming as Soledad. I was a representative from the Blogger Nation--and a pretty dismal one at that, according to the blogs of the left--and the great fathers and mothers of Big Media would treat me kindly, even indulgently.

So I find myself slipping into deep Noah mode: When interacting with my colleagues in broadcast, I will answer their questions and tell them that the flood is not just coming but has begun. But I do not expect they will believe me.

And I won't be alarmed that they don't. The degree of their understanding doesn't matter a bit.

And why should they believe me? Rather, Kerry, Raines, and Lott blew themselves up, right? If they surf a bit to blogs with comments sections they will find there rabid, vulgar, and profane posters from all across the political spectrum. It is just so . . . raw. It cannot possibly compete with the refinement, and the budgets, of the bigs.

I have stopped trying to define what a blog is, but rather now default to describe what bloggers do: We
are cyber sherpas, leading anyone who wants to follow through the mountains of information that accumulate every day to the stuff we think is most important. We give advice. We warn.

We edit.

All of free media on the Internet is our giant wire service, and each day, throughout the day, we provide as many bulletins as we please.


Make sure to read Hugh’s latest book, Blog. I plan to pick up a copy very soon.

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