Friday, September 02, 2005
On the proper role of blogs
It troubles me that people are turning to blogs as legitimate sources of news.
I read and hear a lot about how blogs will democratize news. Bullshit -- I'm not buying it. Blogs are inherently untrustworthy. Blogs are written, to a large extent, by anonymous nerds like myself with nothing better to do. For every one Volokh or Drudge there are 10,000 uninformed assholes with dumb opinions that they should just keep to themselves. Rather than attempting to sift through this mess, people would be much better served to take the time and effort to actually read some of the many fine old fashioned news publications that are available at your local newstand right now ... some of them are even posted on this here internet.
Traditional media has been paying more attention to blogs as well. Why they are doing this, I have no idea. Have to fill those 24 hours with something I guess. Wolf Blitzer now devotes a segment of his ridiculously titled show "The Situation Room" to whatever's going around the blogs. He has some aspirationally attractive youngish women stand at touchscreens and read excerpts from belchsmith.blogspot.com or IhaveaBAinpolisciandIliketowriteaboutpolicyissuesthatinterestme.net.
That's some hard-hitting newsgathering right there.
I don't know what the future holds for blogs, and, really, who cares? Blogs are like slap bracelets -- fun but useless.
|
I read and hear a lot about how blogs will democratize news. Bullshit -- I'm not buying it. Blogs are inherently untrustworthy. Blogs are written, to a large extent, by anonymous nerds like myself with nothing better to do. For every one Volokh or Drudge there are 10,000 uninformed assholes with dumb opinions that they should just keep to themselves. Rather than attempting to sift through this mess, people would be much better served to take the time and effort to actually read some of the many fine old fashioned news publications that are available at your local newstand right now ... some of them are even posted on this here internet.
Traditional media has been paying more attention to blogs as well. Why they are doing this, I have no idea. Have to fill those 24 hours with something I guess. Wolf Blitzer now devotes a segment of his ridiculously titled show "The Situation Room" to whatever's going around the blogs. He has some aspirationally attractive youngish women stand at touchscreens and read excerpts from belchsmith.blogspot.com or IhaveaBAinpolisciandIliketowriteaboutpolicyissuesthatinterestme.net.
That's some hard-hitting newsgathering right there.
I don't know what the future holds for blogs, and, really, who cares? Blogs are like slap bracelets -- fun but useless.
|
