Dem's fighting words, ma'am.
The words are from Tina Brown (right, from the syndicator of her column), at the Washington Post, and they are among the greatest pieces of chutzpah I have ever seen. (Although, personally, I'd love a syndicator. And I could do a job for one, too.)
Careful about clicking below, because I'm about to get mad and my language is about to get very blue indeed.
The so-called Main Stream Media (MSM) long ago lost its credibility. It lost this when it followed every bread crumb laid down by every right-wing asshole leading from Bill Clinton's prick to (eventually) Monica Lewinsky's mouth. (The picture, by the way, is from the BoingBoing blog, advertising a 2003 conference by bloggers.)
Standards have gone downhill since then.
Now for a leader in that effort to turn around and compare bloggers to the East German secret police because we dare hold her to the same standards she held others to...well it boggles the mind. It really does.
The arrogance is beyond belief. The smug, complacent attitude of entitlement, because she has a paycheck and lawyers to defend her, absolutely beggars belief.
No wonder people hate the Main Stream Media.
She dares call this the "Eggshell Era" because she, and her kind, are finally getting a taste of what they've been dishing out?
C'mon. If you want to have standards, they should be standards for everyone. Stop publishing, in the Post, stories about politicians' sex lives (unless they really are sleeping with enemy agents). Stop acting like the standards you set for others can't be set for you.
They can be. They have been. They will be.
We're not the Stasi. We're the people.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for over 25 years and has covered the online world professionally since 1985. He founded the "Interactive Age Daily" for CMP Media, and has written for the Chicago Tribune, Advertising Age, and dozens of other publications over the years.
1. Nick W on March 17, 2005 01:32 PM writes...
Wonderful post, i do like a good scrap...
This defensive lashing out does work both ways though, imo the whole thing has started to devolve into petty mudslinging.
Dana, i dont often get either a chance to link, or have anything to add to your posts, but i'll take this opportunity to thankyou for a wonderful blog.
Regards
Nick
Permalink to Comment2. Alice Marshall on March 17, 2005 03:56 PM writes...
The only reason anyone ever heard of poor Monica Lewinsky is because Linda Tripp and Newsweek magazine violated Maryland's wiretap law. (It is not only illegal to record someone's phone conversation without their permission, it is illegal to distribute the contents of that conversation.) I have never heard of a blogger violating any state's wiretap law.
Neither have I heard of a blogger violating grand jury secrecy or printing the name of a CIA Case officer.
The worst abuse in blogosphere does not come within 1000 miles of these very serious crimes.
Permalink to Comment3. Easycure on March 18, 2005 08:25 AM writes...
Catfight! REeeeeeeaar!
Permalink to Comment4. Grantman on March 18, 2005 12:39 PM writes...
So true, so true. Hat tip to Jeff Jarvis for the link to your site. Lookin' forward to coming her more often.
Permalink to Comment5. David on March 18, 2005 03:24 PM writes...
I had no idea that when I started blogging:
A. I was an ankle biter
B. A raving moron
C. Could only blog in pajamas (I don't own pajamas, do I have to close down my site?)
D. A member of the Stasi (could somebody send me my AK-47 please?)
I think what has happened is that the press over the years has started to think of themselves as gatekeepers of information. Well Vox Populi (and Populae, little Latin joke there, ok VERY little) has stormed the gates and they don't like it.
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