another 'bloggers aren't journalists' column

[thebiglead]

Why does Chris McCosky of the Detroit News hate bloggers?
I read his column, but it was all very unclear.
And wasn't this topic covered in ... 2005?

 

[BYH]

This thread is useless without links.

Of course, I presume he's right anyway.

 

[Omar_dont_scare]

Paging Double Down. Double Down, please pick up the white courtesy phone.

 

[funky_mountain]

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071103/OPINION03/711030306/1339/SPORTS0102

 

[BYH]

Thanks funky.

And my assumption was correct. He was right.

We actually talk to, in person, the people we write about.

Yup. That pretty much seals the deal.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Here's his reasons why. Not too hard to figure out by reading the posting:

* But people, let's not confuse what random fans and wanna-be pundits are tossing out there with legitimate reporting. The line is getting way too blurry now between Internet noise and actual journalism.

* It's actually getting to the point now where some (too many) of the bloggers are using cyberspace to discredit the legitimate media.

* Journalism employs trained professionals.

* There are rules and standards that we are beholden to.

* There are ethics involved.

* We actually talk to, in person, the people we write about.

* With blogging and Web sites, it seems the hard work, standards, accountability, courage all of that is bypassed.

* A lot of times these bloggers use the work of legitimate reporters. They will lift facts and segments of stories and cut and paste them onto their blog. Rarely, if ever, though, do they bother to credit the source.

Apparently he's pissed that there are cyberspace rumors about Joel Zumaya's latest injury occurring when he fell off his dirt bike, instead of when a box of stuff he was moving during the wildfire evacuations fell on him; rumors which I find eminently more believable than the official explanation. Let's face it, Jeff Kent didn't break his wrist while falling during a truck wash, Jake Plummer didn't just trip over someone's dog and injure his face, and Clint Barmes didn't fall up Todd Helton's steps because he had too much stuff to carry. These are world-class athletes who continually hurt themselves doing things old ladies don't get hurt doing.

Actually, it appears the rumor started on ESPN.com's message boards, not blogs. And perhaps instead of simply blasting blogs, this guy could call someone and ask if Zumaya hurt himself riding a dirt bike because rumors are circulating. Then he can have Tigers officials denying that it happened that way on the record.

 

[sportschick]

That Big Lead a guy, who couldn't even be bothered to call the LSU SID to confirm that a reporter had been at a game before throwing out a rumor and who claimed through 7th or 8th hand information that Tom Brady had other illegitimate children, is complaining about somebody saying bloggers aren't journalists is nothing short of amusing.

 

[thebiglead]

SC, who is 'complaining?'

Confused is more like it.

I'm curious who all these bloggers are that say they are journalists. Do these people actually exist? Has any blogger actually said, 'i'm a journalist?' A link would have been nice.

Same thing for the Zumaya injury.

As a reader, these are questions I have.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

If on your blog you interview people, break news, write up accounts of the day's sports news, and speculate on events, but don't SAY you're a journalist, I guess that means you're not a journalist!

 

[Bob Cook]

Why are we still bothering with this argument?

As right or wrong as McCosky might be, these sorts of columns come off sounding like "I'm an old fart pissed the Internet is threatening my job." Just like any pieces by bloggers arguing they are journalists come off sounding like "I'm pissed the Pulitzer committee doesn't take seriously my scoop of alleging there are cellphone pictures of the Bigass State offensive line's drunken swordfight in a hooker's mouth." Just do whatever your job is, or think it is, and your readers will decide what you are and whether to take you seriously -- no matter what you tell them.

 

[PHINJ]

Why are we still bothering with this argument?
"I'm pissed the Pulitzer committee doesn't take seriously my scoop of alleging there are cellphone pictures of the Bigass State offensive line's drunken swordfight in a hooker's mouth."

This thread just became useless without pics.

I've done an experiment where, on off-days, I won't devour any MSM, just check two news blogs and Deadspin. I don't actually click any links to newspapers, just read the links and the discussions. You can actually stay quite informed this way.

 

[Rufino]

McCosky has been regularly savaged over the years by the Detroitsportsrag.com website. Their desire for writing seems to have gone mostly dormant in the last year, but for a while they routinely tore him in particular a new one daily. I suspect that might have something to do with has attitude toward similar venues.

 

[Singapore Slim]

[quote author=Chris McCosky]
They will write something like, "I am hearing the Pistons are going to start Antonio McDyess this year." Well, wonder where you "heard" that. It was reported in the darn newspaper. Yet, the same blogger will go out of their way to ridicule the source they stole from.
[/quote]

I follow each and every one of the Piston blogs, and I don't recall them ever coming close to writing anything like that; regardless of the player.

That's just a lame stereotype gone mad.

 

[Editude]

He might have a point, but if he's the journalism world's best example, we're in trouble. That was not well done.

 

[wickedwritah]

BLOGS! [/Almost_Famous]

 

[earlyentry]

I think the reporter here doesn't care for bloggers reporting in Detroit area, which is lame. His two problems are with Antonio Dice and Zumaya. Is he afraid of being scooped? Also, can a reporter file a better complaint than the antiquated "basement" sterotype. I've read published work from Will Leitch of Deadspin, among others, who writes 10 times better than this guy. Many popular blogs feature compentent professionals who prefer to write from home and without deadlines or whatever. He also mentions that he is a trained professional, which is true. But who's to say that a English major can't become a sports reporter...or a Chem major...if you can report/write well than aren't you're on the right track anyway?

 

[dooley_womack1]

Here's his reasons why. Not too hard to figure out by reading the posting:

* But people, let's not confuse what random fans and wanna-be pundits are tossing out there with legitimate reporting. The line is getting way too blurry now between Internet noise and actual journalism.

* It's actually getting to the point now where some (too many) of the bloggers are using cyberspace to discredit the legitimate media.

* Journalism employs trained professionals.

* There are rules and standards that we are beholden to.

* There are ethics involved.

* We actually talk to, in person, the people we write about.

* With blogging and Web sites, it seems the hard work, standards, accountability, courage all of that is bypassed.

* A lot of times these bloggers use the work of legitimate reporters. They will lift facts and segments of stories and cut and paste them onto their blog. Rarely, if ever, though, do they bother to credit the source.

Apparently he's pissed that there are cyberspace rumors about Joel Zumaya's latest injury occurring when he fell off his dirt bike, instead of when a box of stuff he was moving during the wildfire evacuations fell on him; rumors which I find eminently more believable than the official explanation. Let's face it, Jeff Kent didn't break his wrist while falling during a truck wash, Jake Plummer didn't just trip over someone's dog and injure his face, and Clint Barmes didn't fall up Todd Helton's steps because he had too much stuff to carry. These are world-class athletes who continually hurt themselves doing things old ladies don't get hurt doing.

Actually, it appears the rumor started on ESPN.com's message boards, not blogs. And perhaps instead of simply blasting blogs, this guy could call someone and ask if Zumaya hurt himself riding a dirt bike because rumors are circulating. Then he can have Tigers officials denying that it happened that way on the record.

"Um, Mr. Zumaya, Joe Smith from the Podunk Times. Did you hurt yourself:
--Falling off your dirt bike?
--Boffing your nanny?
--Smuggling illegal drugs?
--Carrying out a hit on a witness?
--While indulging in autoerotic strangulation?
--While trying to mate with a cow?"

Thanks for making it clear what the new standards of journalism should be.

And early, given that best-selling authors have to rewrite their books 5-6 times, I think a little editing doesn't hurt a writer. But hell, absolution for a error is as close as wiping the page off the site.

 

[pressmurphy]

I would have been more impressed if he cited a specific blogger and tore him/her/it down point by point, but that would have probably just given the culprit more visibility. But sometimes you've just got to swat the dog across the nose with that rolled-up newspaper.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

BLOGS! [/Almost_Famous]

Blogs rule the world. Trust me.
Trust me.

 

[MacDaddy]

[quote author=Chris McCosky]
They will write something like, "I am hearing the Pistons are going to start Antonio McDyess this year." Well, wonder where you "heard" that. It was reported in the darn newspaper. Yet, the same blogger will go out of their way to ridicule the source they stole from.

I follow each and every one of the Piston blogs, and I don't recall them ever coming close to writing anything like that; regardless of the player.

That's just a lame stereotype gone mad.
[/quote]
Stereotypes exist for a reason.