tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post4504316180191161840..comments2023-10-30T06:21:18.757-04:00Comments on John Kelly's Voxford: Are Reporters Doomed?John Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15518490709206494331noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-41897878870162804432007-11-14T18:41:00.000-05:002007-11-14T18:41:00.000-05:00Back when John Kelly and I were friends. . .No, ju...Back when John Kelly and I were friends. . .<BR/><BR/>No, just joking, of course! John and I have the sort of friendship that can easily withstand a strong professional disagreement in which he is so tragically wrong.<BR/><BR/>Today there was a major earthquake in Chile. The New York Times (just to pick on the big dumb kid at the back of the class) has a 16-graf news story on its Web site. It hasCraig Stoltzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12390821051835377008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-10194562409415830412007-11-13T23:03:00.000-05:002007-11-13T23:03:00.000-05:00Sorry, frustrated, I'm skeptical of that study: it...Sorry, frustrated, I'm skeptical of that study: it seems entirely too vulnerable to reflecting disproportionately the views of people who care about the hard news (and read surveys, and are inclined to vote) than those fluffy types who can be grabbed by the impulse of a Paris Hilton headline or cute kitty photo. Of course, unsourced study, etc., neither of us can be sure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-77530615204726587392007-11-13T10:49:00.000-05:002007-11-13T10:49:00.000-05:00I think you're right, Rich. And if we can't figure...I think you're right, Rich. And if we can't figure it out, then the market has spoken. But it doesn't mean we should throw in the towel. <BR/><BR/>Craig Stoltz has some very interesting thoughts on this at his blog ttp://2ohreally.wordpress.com/<BR/><BR/>Or, specifically: <BR/>http://2ohreally.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/are-reporters-doomed-contd/#comment-2263John Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15518490709206494331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-68168153012839674252007-11-12T20:39:00.000-05:002007-11-12T20:39:00.000-05:00Here's the way I see it:I *want* there to be money...Here's the way I see it:<BR/><BR/>I *want* there to be money in good journalism. Because if there's money in good journalism, more good journalism will be created.<BR/><BR/>And I believe there is more than enough demand for good journalism in most communities to finance at least one darned good business built around producing it. <BR/><BR/>It's just a question of understanding what works in theRich Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08552060234065920469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-84161766924088218152007-11-12T18:49:00.000-05:002007-11-12T18:49:00.000-05:00The public NOT prefer "crap journalism." Some time...The public NOT prefer "crap journalism." Some time last year the Washington Post reported on an experiment by Midwest city newspaper (I think in Milwaukee, but I'm not sure). Anyway, the paper posted several topics on its Web site each day and asked readers to vote on which ones should be on the front page. EVERY DAY, the readers voted for hard news, frequently international, rather than the "Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-52366065459952615872007-11-12T16:25:00.000-05:002007-11-12T16:25:00.000-05:00Craig Stoltz clearly has my humanities-educated, G...Craig Stoltz clearly has my humanities-educated, George Packer reading card marked ... <BR/><BR/>Those sites look great, a fantastic resource, and undoubtedly good journalism. But I'll stick with the Atlantic and the NYRB as my first port of call. Reporting's about facts, sure, but it's also about style too - at least for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-39806742451294099322007-11-12T12:32:00.000-05:002007-11-12T12:32:00.000-05:00Those are some interesting points, Alexandra Kitty...Those are some interesting points, Alexandra Kitty. I think you might enjoy a response that my friend Craig Stoltz posted at his blog: <BR/>http://2ohreally.wordpress.com/<BR/><BR/>I don't think I'm old guard, but nor am I young guard. Is there a medium guard? My worry is that the old guard (some of them, anyway) are reflexively antagonistic towards anything new and the young guard (again, not John Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15518490709206494331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-58242316449106972522007-11-12T12:14:00.000-05:002007-11-12T12:14:00.000-05:00I don't think reporters are doomed -- so long as t...I don't think reporters are doomed -- so long as they are open-minded enough to understand and embrace the evolving medium we call the Internet -- which can take the elements of print, television, and radio, blend them together to make something that is superior to each of the three traditional media.<BR/><BR/>Journalism doesn't have to suffer -- it can, in fact thrive, but too many players don'tAlexandra Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16344859714925254207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-5356488240354193372007-11-12T09:54:00.000-05:002007-11-12T09:54:00.000-05:00I don't doubt that some sizable portion of the cro...I don't doubt that some sizable portion of the crowd are idiots. But they come by their idiocy honestly and as long as they aren't bothering me--forcing me to watch "Celebrity Big Brother Cannibal Island"--then let them have their fun, I say. It would be a challenge to find a journalism--a proper journalism--that appeals to them. And if not, then there are non-idiots out there who hopefully will John Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15518490709206494331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-34891107789318891262007-11-12T09:42:00.000-05:002007-11-12T09:42:00.000-05:00Richard D and Tocqueville compared in the same bre...Richard D and Tocqueville compared in the same breath?! Who says British journalists are dumbing down?<BR/><BR/>The market still permits high end-journalism - the Noo Yoiker and the Atlantic seem to be doing okay, for example, despite great long articles, often on obscure subjects. But there's no doubt that in my neck of the investigative journalism woods budgets and timelines for investigations Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-18215357538401737482007-11-12T09:30:00.000-05:002007-11-12T09:30:00.000-05:00Richard's comment is very interesting, quite in th...Richard's comment is very interesting, quite in the spirit of Tocqueville, that great interpreter of Europe and America.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-25694194149098527832007-11-12T09:25:00.000-05:002007-11-12T09:25:00.000-05:00In the five or so years I have been reading the "P...In the five or so years I have been reading the "Post" the Redskins frequently seem to be front-page news, whether they win or lose. This morning there was a long article about their loss to the Eagles. And in the halls of the Library of Congress there are among some of the staff informed and animated discussions of the game, before and after, and indeed throughout the metropolitan area.<BR/>I Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-7445864899031584992007-11-12T09:16:00.000-05:002007-11-12T09:16:00.000-05:00I think this illustrates a quite funamental differ...I think this illustrates a quite funamental difference between the European and American attitude to the people. The US tends to recognise the wisdom of the crowd, and hence have faith in expressions of democratic will. In Europe, perhaps because we've had a number of rather bloody expressions of the will of the people, we are more suspicious of it. Hence in the US there is a belief that in the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-32009957264086009472007-11-12T08:12:00.000-05:002007-11-12T08:12:00.000-05:00Okay, I just read the article. I do love the Brit...Okay, I just read the article. I do love the British. "News bunnies," "commentariat," "people shouting past each other" - how do they come up with such great words and phrases? I think he voices a valid concern: "Where will responsible, in-depth reporting come from in this brave new world?" But what's your answer? That advertising revenues may be enough to encourage major news outlets to Suburban Correspondenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11488916572135296650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2862729565948191502.post-44653447972444689502007-11-12T08:01:00.000-05:002007-11-12T08:01:00.000-05:00We've never had government support of print media ...We've never had government support of print media (have we?) in this country, and there have always been muckraking publications alongside the good ones; so I do think good journalism will still survive. But why then does the government feel the need to subsidize NPR? Doesn't that illustrate a lack of faith in the market to support decent radio? And isn't it justified?<BR/><BR/>Also, is Suburban Correspondenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11488916572135296650noreply@blogger.com