Comments on: Dependence http://themoderatevoice.com/12717/dependence/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:22:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jason Steck http://themoderatevoice.com/12717/dependence/comment-page-1/#comment-79679 Jason Steck Wed, 09 May 2007 17:01:13 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/blogging/12717/dependence/#comment-79679 While for a variety of reasons, bloggers have difficulty adding much original reporting, bloggers can and do add a lot of original analysis. A lot of people read blogs not as a primary news source, but as a way of getting past the often shallow, surface-level coverage of news reporting and including analysis and criticism from a variety of perspectives. Unfortunately, even some bloggers disrespect this kind of material. Recently, a blogger ripped into me on the comments area of my own blog, arguing that his posts were good blogging because they were comprised of quotes from news articles while my posts were (allegedly) worse because they are mostly comprised of my own thoughts and analysis. So, according to such people, good blogging = being a clipping service and independent analysis is bad blogging. Dependency can only be reinforced by such expectations. Blogs are good at some things and not as good at others. Maybe we shouldn't devalue what we are good at. While for a variety of reasons, bloggers have difficulty adding much original reporting, bloggers can and do add a lot of original analysis. A lot of people read blogs not as a primary news source, but as a way of getting past the often shallow, surface-level coverage of news reporting and including analysis and criticism from a variety of perspectives.

Unfortunately, even some bloggers disrespect this kind of material. Recently, a blogger ripped into me on the comments area of my own blog, arguing that his posts were good blogging because they were comprised of quotes from news articles while my posts were (allegedly) worse because they are mostly comprised of my own thoughts and analysis.

So, according to such people, good blogging = being a clipping service and independent analysis is bad blogging.

Dependency can only be reinforced by such expectations. Blogs are good at some things and not as good at others. Maybe we shouldn’t devalue what we are good at.

]]> By: casualobserver http://themoderatevoice.com/12717/dependence/comment-page-1/#comment-79660 casualobserver Wed, 09 May 2007 16:04:22 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/blogging/12717/dependence/#comment-79660 Perhaps it would also be useful to differentiate between "blogs" per se and "online editions". I can readily understand that small infrastructure blogs will never obtain the commercial leverage needed to unseat print media, but online distribution is already entitled to claim success. The online version of the WSJ has more paying subscribers than all print papers but USA Today and NYT. Undoubtedly, still too early to foresee an entirely different business model, but the method of information distribution changeover is well underway. Perhaps it would also be useful to differentiate between “blogs” per se and “online editions”. I can readily understand that small infrastructure blogs will never obtain the commercial leverage needed to unseat print media, but online distribution is already entitled to claim success. The online version of the WSJ has more paying subscribers than all print papers but USA Today and NYT.

Undoubtedly, still too early to foresee an entirely different business model, but the method of information distribution changeover is well underway.

]]> By: Michael van der Galien http://themoderatevoice.com/12717/dependence/comment-page-1/#comment-79646 Michael van der Galien Wed, 09 May 2007 14:50:20 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/blogging/12717/dependence/#comment-79646 Jason good point and very true. Another important aspect: money. You need money to do that. Time = money. Bloggers simply do not have the money for that. Jason good point and very true. Another important aspect: money. You need money to do that. Time = money. Bloggers simply do not have the money for that.

]]> By: Jason Steck http://themoderatevoice.com/12717/dependence/comment-page-1/#comment-79645 Jason Steck Wed, 09 May 2007 14:44:10 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/blogging/12717/dependence/#comment-79645 <blockquote>Bloggers do not do original reporting, we are dependent on what the traditional media feed us with.</blockquote> Bloggers <i>could</i> do original reporting. Some of us have sources and contacts that would sustain at least a limited number of stories. But here's the problem as I see it: It takes a lot of time and energy to do investigation, research and interviews for an original reporting story. And when the story thus produced gets buried within an hour or two of its posting, it really isn't worth the effort. The one-dimensional presentation format of the blog is a significant barrier to the publication of original reporting.

Bloggers do not do original reporting, we are dependent on what the traditional media feed us with.

Bloggers could do original reporting. Some of us have sources and contacts that would sustain at least a limited number of stories. But here’s the problem as I see it: It takes a lot of time and energy to do investigation, research and interviews for an original reporting story. And when the story thus produced gets buried within an hour or two of its posting, it really isn’t worth the effort.

The one-dimensional presentation format of the blog is a significant barrier to the publication of original reporting.

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