A Troubled Marriage: Journalism and Blogging

The crux of professional journalism is the first amendment of the constitution, enabling the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. As with most interpretations, the definition of this fact is slanted with the ubiquity of perspective the internet provides. Blogging and its popularity is the quintessential example, and most bloggers just want to live happily ever after. Often times, that isn’t exactly the case.

While many professional journalists have rumbled that the death of their profession is the blog, many logical people know, that argument is flame bait. People visit blogs for opinion, rumor, and possibly news. People visit news for news, and rely on professional credentials for legitimate stories. Anyone basing their facts on Wonkette, Global Grind, or Huffington Post isn’t doing their due diligence.

This isn’t to say, however, that a random opine isn’t legitimate. Still, the tension exists.

We saw this, recently, in the backlash from Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union Blog contest, where many exclaimed the improper motive and suggestive pandering his press release materials conveyed. It seemed to be kicked off by popular blogger and WhatAboutOurDaughters.com creator Gina McCauley, but many felt her same sentiment. While I personally disagree with the whole ‘us versus them’ argument of new media and old media, I am empathetic to those who may have had unfavorable experiences with the old guard. My personal opinion is that lumping any group together as having a singular mindset, motive, sentiment, or goal is dangerous, and as Black tech evangelists, we should know better.

It is in that mindset that the article over at BlackPower.com frustrates me. Granted, Gina is used as the lightening rod, again, but I think NPR and The Root journalist Jimi Izrael espouses a little too much on his encounter with one blogger as the defined problem of bloggers and blogging in general:

They are smart enough and well-intentioned, but blogs are often manic Google-traps trying to get click-throughs for ad nickels, so over-done and egomaniacal that many of them can’t dialog beyond the basement.

Not only is that unfair, but it is short-sighted. Many journalists within commercial institutions have access to capital and resources. Lowly bloggers would need to mortgage a private fortune to reach the same audience. We do our best with what we have and attempt to fill a need that is often lost in the editorials, reviews, and national perspective bigger mediums must address.

In the end, it really comes down to respect, and it is obvious from his article that he felt disrespected, not only at the convention, but online and on twitter. While I can’t speak for either of them, I can say that this online space is big enough for all of us. I just think that we can all shine in our unique way without trampling, mis-characterizing, or defaming.

I know BW 2.0 can.