Comments on: Surprise: Another journalist hates the blogosphere http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/ Exploring How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Denis Hancock http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-169756 Denis Hancock Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:29:27 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-169756 Great comments folks. Toby - I think a lot of people are "reporting", but a substantial part of reporting has long been just telling readers what happened. The challenge is that for events that are relevant to multiple jurisdictions, there are now hundreds or thousands of people reporting on the same thing. Dan - great connection to the lawyer issue, and I think the mediocrity comment is spot on. Tel- agree. As I've written about before, journalists have to collectively own up to the fact on everything from wars to steroid scandals, it sure seems like VERY few journalists bothered / were brave enough to report the truth. Shaun - I think at some point some great writers are going to REALLY figure out how to make money off writing for the web... I really look forward to that day. Daniel - I shudder at at the thought of government grants for journalists... though I recall writing a few months ago about that exact proposal being floated at a U.K. conference focused on the issues authors were having. Niall - touche. Great comments folks.

Toby – I think a lot of people are “reporting”, but a substantial part of reporting has long been just telling readers what happened. The challenge is that for events that are relevant to multiple jurisdictions, there are now hundreds or thousands of people reporting on the same thing.

Dan – great connection to the lawyer issue, and I think the mediocrity comment is spot on.

Tel- agree. As I’ve written about before, journalists have to collectively own up to the fact on everything from wars to steroid scandals, it sure seems like VERY few journalists bothered / were brave enough to report the truth.

Shaun – I think at some point some great writers are going to REALLY figure out how to make money off writing for the web… I really look forward to that day.

Daniel – I shudder at at the thought of government grants for journalists… though I recall writing a few months ago about that exact proposal being floated at a U.K. conference focused on the issues authors were having.

Niall – touche.

]]> By: Toby http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-169411 Toby Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:58:42 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-169411 Let's go back to square one .. what is journalism? Seems to me that random thoughts were opinion pieces for the op ed pages. Using blogs as a quick publishing tool is one thing. Using blogs for a quick (unprofessional) rant is quite another. Can't help but wonder if anyone "reporting" these days? Let’s go back to square one .. what is journalism? Seems to me that random thoughts were opinion pieces for the op ed pages. Using blogs as a quick publishing tool is one thing. Using blogs for a quick (unprofessional) rant is quite another. Can’t help but wonder if anyone “reporting” these days?

]]> By: Goodness Gracious, Great Blogs of Fire! » The Buzz Bin http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-169059 Goodness Gracious, Great Blogs of Fire! » The Buzz Bin Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:31:13 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-169059 [...] How do blogs compare with traditional print media? Arguments against blogs are that journalism wasn’t meant to be a conversation, and that not everyone can write a compelling piece. Denis Hancock of Wikinomics argues that blogs are “simply a new form of publishing tool.” And that blogs receive more editorial freedom, and “are unbounded by word constraints associated with print media.” [...] [...] How do blogs compare with traditional print media? Arguments against blogs are that journalism wasn’t meant to be a conversation, and that not everyone can write a compelling piece. Denis Hancock of Wikinomics argues that blogs are “simply a new form of publishing tool.” And that blogs receive more editorial freedom, and “are unbounded by word constraints associated with print media.” [...]

]]> By: Dan http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-167454 Dan Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:09:34 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-167454 I see similarities here between the journalist world and the legal world. There are lawyers who complain about legal clinics and paralegals being allowed to do lawyer work, but those lawyers typically are not very good. They know that what they do can be done by trained non-lawyers so they fear it. Good lawyers actually welcome it, because it will further deliniate what takes high skills and what does not. I see the same thing here. No way is blogging going to replace great journalism a la the WSJ or the NYTimes, but it is going to cut into the province of the mediocre and it is usually the mediocre who complain. I see similarities here between the journalist world and the legal world. There are lawyers who complain about legal clinics and paralegals being allowed to do lawyer work, but those lawyers typically are not very good. They know that what they do can be done by trained non-lawyers so they fear it. Good lawyers actually welcome it, because it will further deliniate what takes high skills and what does not.

I see the same thing here. No way is blogging going to replace great journalism a la the WSJ or the NYTimes, but it is going to cut into the province of the mediocre and it is usually the mediocre who complain.

]]> By: Tel http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-167338 Tel Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:02:02 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-167338 Can't help thinking that if journalists delivered the goods on things like integrity, honesty, independence and accuracy then maybe they would have lasted a bit longer but big media betrayed the people. Now they must pay the price. Let's face it, when it comes to sports, one person watches the game and updates their friends on the score occasionally by any means you like. Those friends update their friends and everyone knows. That's pretty much sports journalism done and dusted (there wasn't much in it to begin with). Can’t help thinking that if journalists delivered the goods on things like integrity, honesty, independence and accuracy then maybe they would have lasted a bit longer but big media betrayed the people. Now they must pay the price.

Let’s face it, when it comes to sports, one person watches the game and updates their friends on the score occasionally by any means you like. Those friends update their friends and everyone knows. That’s pretty much sports journalism done and dusted (there wasn’t much in it to begin with).

]]> By: Shaun http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-167001 Shaun Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:37:37 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-167001 Why on earth would she want to use the Web to create better content? The Web isn't paying her. This close-minded thinking is the seemingly long knee-jerk reaction by traditional "journalists". I've been told on repeated occasions by peers that they enjoy my writing far more than pieces they've read by friends with English degrees. The problem is that journalists refuse to believe that those without "classic" training cannot even be effective when it comes to writing. Why on earth would she want to use the Web to create better content? The Web isn’t paying her.

This close-minded thinking is the seemingly long knee-jerk reaction by traditional “journalists”. I’ve been told on repeated occasions by peers that they enjoy my writing far more than pieces they’ve read by friends with English degrees. The problem is that journalists refuse to believe that those without “classic” training cannot even be effective when it comes to writing.

]]> By: Mike Dover http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-166946 Mike Dover Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:07:26 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-166946 Christie Blatchford would make short work of Hancock in Greco-Roman. Just sayin' Christie Blatchford would make short work of Hancock in Greco-Roman.

Just sayin’

]]> By: Daniel J. Pritchett http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-166930 Daniel J. Pritchett Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:31:08 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-166930 Ms. Blatchford is lamenting the decline of a business model, not that of her revered craft. Well written and thoroughly investigated blogs will always have an eager audience. Perhaps in the coming age of blogs long form investigative reporters will be reduced to relying on government grants to allow them to practice their craft at their own pace. You can already see a similar divide between makers of fine art and practitioners of commercial design. Ms. Blatchford is lamenting the decline of a business model, not that of her revered craft. Well written and thoroughly investigated blogs will always have an eager audience.

Perhaps in the coming age of blogs long form investigative reporters will be reduced to relying on government grants to allow them to practice their craft at their own pace. You can already see a similar divide between makers of fine art and practitioners of commercial design.

]]> By: Niall Cook http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/21/surprise-another-journalists-hates-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-166924 Niall Cook Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:16:50 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1879#comment-166924 Another journalist hates the blogosphere? Have they not yet worked out that the feeling is mutual? Another journalist hates the blogosphere? Have they not yet worked out that the feeling is mutual?

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