I beat up on MSM fairly frequently. Probably because they deserve it. But not all are inept and incompetent, resting on laurels given them by their peers. Some have actually received awards from real people.
Bill Bennett, someone some will immediately pounce on as a right-wing evangelical zealot, has a very good analysis of what is happening right now regarding MSM and the new media of blogging and talk-radio. Don’t let your perception of him one way or the other cloud your mind–go read it:
After the election, many statistics emerged. Perhaps the most interesting do not have to do with the mere shifts in the Catholic, Jewish, Black, or Hispanic votes. But, rather, why those shifts took place.
He talks about the things we in the blogosphere have discussed many times:
Speaking as a host of a three-hour talk show, it is evident that the public, which is checking assertions of fact as they are being made, is not sitting back and merely absorbing pontification.
People who get a portion of their news coverage from the internet certainly have a broad range to choose from. And the linking so prevalent in the blogosphere carries people to many points of view they might never have seen otherwise. This is the strength of the blogosphere, but has its dangers:
…the growth of “unfounded allegations” is at least as much a problem for the mainstream media as it is for the Internet.
Yes, just what I’ve chided Bill O’Reilly about (although he never heard it). And, yes, there is plenty of the same in our realm. But we have better fact-checkers.
The value of the blogosphere, combined with talk-radio, teaches another lesson: the experts can often be wrong-not just about facts but about what people care about, and even who’s in charge.
Here is another strength in the internet. We write about what we feel is important. We may get information from MSM sources, but we decide what is important enough to spend our time on. The focus of the news day is no longer driven by the newsrooms at ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, or FoxNews. We can check them all, along with news agencies and papers around the world, and talk about what we view as the top story. When enough of us share the same topic, MSM eventually must pick it up. When they do, they endure the wrath of the internet denizens if they get it wrong.
And they do get it wrong–intentionally or not. Much of the blame can be laid at the feet of those manning the microphones and word processors in the newsrooms. They just aren’t as intelligent or knowledgeable as this group. They have less real-world experience. Their perspective can be skewed.
What that means to us out here in blogland is that we have to pick up the slack in responsibility and experience. Few reporters know which end of an M16 points downrange. They could probably figure it out. We know. That little bit of difference can be huge in certain situations. We must continue to use our knowledge and experience properly. Add to the conversation, not just scream about something idiotic mouthed by a talking head. Pick up the loose ends. Ground everything to the inspection side.
I can live with inept reportage. What I don’t suffer is inept coverage compounded by arrogance. This is what ruined Dan Rather. Others will follow unless they pay attention and learn to take advantage of the experience and interest out here. For our part, we need to be ready when they finally ask.
More at PowerLine (where else?).
Well put, Bunker. The major difference in the blogosphere, IMHO, is that we back up our posts with facts that link to our sources, plus we add our own real life experiences in our own spheres of expertise. The journalists, as represented by the MSM, have no experience other than their liberal collegiate experience, and their limited elitist circles!
Comment by DagneyT — December 6, 2004 @ 9:56 pm
We must not fall into the trap they did and start believing we are all-knowing. We must continue to do the same things you mentioned, and give people who read what we write something of value, and something that can be backed up by fact.
Comment by Bunker — December 7, 2004 @ 6:37 am