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October 08, 2005

Bloggers and Mainstream Media: Knowledge vs. Credentials

“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. Were an opinion a personal possession of no value except to the owner; if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few persons or on many. But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.” — On Liberty, John Stuart Mill

I have been thinking some this week about criticisms that were recently posted here on Cape Cod Today. After I quoted a blog that offended me, it was stated that this was not what blogging was all about. Based on people's reactions, I was concerned that there was some blogging etiquette that I might have missed. Subsequently, in researching this, I have found these fears were unwarranted. As a matter of fact, quite the contrary, it seems that many politically minded individuals find this to be exactly what blogging is all about. As a perfect example, the same offended person (who shall remain nameless) actually uses this method themselves when they quote our President in their blog and pontificate about matters political. Yet, when I quoted this blogarreah and was offended by it, I was somehow traveling a different road. An interesting bit of hypocrisy...

This week is Banned Books Week; I honestly hope we will never have the need to invoke Banned Blogs Week. The American Library Association uses Banned Book Week to “emphasize the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.” I don't think there are many of us who would question this freedom. However, I do think it is critical to remember that this same freedom also guarantees all of us the right to express our disgust at any of this free expression we find repulsive. I am not sure when these freedoms came to apply only to the liberal viewpoint, but a bit of self correction in this area might be in order.

The blog was considered on the cutting edge of the web not all that long ago. When the weblog had its beginning, it was simply defined as an often-updated site that directed people to outside articles on the web (and to other shared pages); these sites often included comments about their links. The blog is still that and so much more. The Blogfather recently forwarded a New York Times article to me that, in part, examined the effects that “upstart” bloggers are having on “the conventional news media.” While the article provides an interesting look into the mainstream media's fear of losing their audience, its exploration of blogs reveals a self-centeredness that bespeaks why their fears are justified. The article's description of bloggers as “mostly amateurs” is the key to where mainstream media is losing its audience. What much of the media fails to recognize is that it is “mostly amateurs” who are their audience, and “mostly amateurs” whose dollars pay their salaries. The problem with the journalistic establishment is that they are thoroughly convinced of their superiority and goodness and that the only way to salvation is by following their lead. The mainstream media has become so blind to their own bias, that they have repulsed many people who used to rely on them for their news. The media somehow misses that they have forced their own audience, their consumers, to take on the amateur endeavor of reporting news to professional standards. There is nothing professional about simply reporting the news, but it takes professionalism to report it without letting feelings and preconceived notions color the reporting of it.

Journalists and mainstream media still seem reluctant to embrace the blogosphere and they obviously underestimate the intelligence of its participants. It also seems that any technology that benefits them is worthy, but any that empower us are suspect. The New York Times article admits to the advantages the blogger has over the traditional journalist, but seeks to explain these advantages away. It is apparent that it is the rare professional journalist who would accept a blogger as their equal. The media is under the impression that they have a captive audience and are dependent on what they view as our limited knowledge. This will be the downfall of the elite news media; they presume their credentials place them above the rest of us. Until the media gets over themselves and accept views contrary to their own agendas as equally deserving of respect- the media will find far more escaping them than advertising dollars. The blog is not going to replace the media, any more than a camera phone will replace a photo journalist. Until the mainstream media views bloggers as their equals and embraces these new technologies as a benefit to us all, they may very well find themselves left behind... lost in the dust of antiquity.

My Blogisms for the week:

You may disagree with other's views, but do not propose to tell anyone what blogging is about. The web log is as unique to each one of us as we are different from each other.

In libraries there are books on subjects we would never elect to read – in blogs we can rarely escape that we wish we hadn't.

Bloggers are no different than the authors who grace our library shelves... only their critics are closer and quicker to respond.

Suggested Reading:

* Rebecca Blood, Weblogs: a History and Perspective
* Stefanie Olsen ,CNET News.com, Intelligence in the Internet Age

Posted by capecodcyclist at October 8, 2005 07:41 PM

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