How the bloggers have driven the news agenda
Traditional media have been left trailing by the internet, reports David Usborne
Back to the Politician Page

31 October 2004

In the last days of this American election marathon, all the usual media rituals are playing out. The presidential candidates are picking and choosing between television shows to make their final appeals to voters while newspapers across the land are making their traditional, tautly reasoned endorsements.

So much for the familiar, however. When it is all over, editors and reporters will finally have a moment to reflect on everything that was different about this presidential campaign. What they are likely to conclude is this: the traditional outlets, whether it is CBS News or the New York Times, mattered less. New forces nudged voters' sympathies and even drove the traditional news agenda.

This was the year when the mainstream media outlets unexpectedly found themselves looking over their shoulders at the internet and, perhaps most surprisingly, at the new armies of political bloggers.

A "blog" is a website where self-appointed experts can spout off on subjects of their choice, no qualifications required. Bob's Note: The "journalist" who wrote this piece is obviously biased against the free flow of information. Journalists generally have "no qualifications" to do what they do either. There is no certifying body, no education requirments but there is often one thing they must have. To work in MainStreamMedia (MSM) one must have a profound left-wing extremist view of the world. This means that the "journalists" believe that an all powerful BIG GOVERNMENT monopoly on all parts of their lives will solve all their problems. Bloggers however generally are highly educated people from a variety of other fields who believe that FREEDOM FROM GOVERNMENT INTRUSION is of primary importance. Besides that they don't believe in preventing the free exchange of ideas. MSM journalists are extremely intolerant of any opinions but their own as are all left-wing extremist DEMONCRAP know nothings. The average MSM "journalist" has a "degree" in "journalism" which is just indoctrination in the "wonderful world of dictatorship governed socialism", ie: a degree in stupidity. Average bloggers have degrees in a wide variety of fields and are often professionals with a far greater knowledge of the real world than "journalists" will ever understand. But sometimes people listen to them. It was the blogs that, in July, noticed the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Campaign that questioned John Kerry's war heroism. The mainstream media noticed and followed up in August.

"Things start on the fringes of the blogosphere, become the buzz, and then move to cable news," observed Alex Jones, director of Harvard's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press. And often, critics note, the cable news channels pick up the stories, without always verifying all the facts.

A signal media moment in this season was the furore that followed a 60 Minutes report by Dan Rather of CBS purporting to have a memo showing that George Bush ducked his National Guard duties. Mr Rather was tripped up when word surfaced that the memo may in fact have been forged - in the blogs.

"Bloggers, in some instances, are pushing the envelope in defining the political agenda and news coverage," remarked Pete Blackshaw of the press monitoring service Intelliseek.

It is a new world that can be uncomfortable for reporters. Blogs have been ruthless in monitoring their reports for any hint of political bias and then skewering them.

The attacks on reporters like Howard Fineman of Newsweek can be personal. "I would be lying if I didn't say that it can be hurtful," he told The New York Times.

The mainstream outlets find themselves under ever greater pressure not to betray any bias whatsoever. In the wake of the three presidential debates, 59 per cent of stories in the main newspapers and on network television focusing on Mr Bush were mainly negative, according to a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Only a quarter of the stories that focused on how Mr Kerry fared were negative. A fair reflection what happened? Or evidence of bias?

This is the moment, however, when newspapers can finally let off steam with their endorsements. And so far, they seem to be heading in surprising numbers into the Kerry column. According to the journal Editor and Publisher, Mr Kerry was leading Mr Bush by 175 endorsements to 138 by last Friday.

But in this new cyber-age, perhaps even the endorsements cease to make much difference. As Larry Sabato, political science professor at the University of Virginia suggested on the scrupulously neutral Newshour programme on public television last week: "Editorial endorsements are dinosaurs. This really is horse and buggy. People make up their own minds." With a little help from the bloggers.

© 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd

Reply 1 - Posted by: dlentz10, 10/31/2004 5:27:26 AM The article was correct to point out that it takes no special qualification to be a blogger. Yet it omitted the fact that it takes no special qualification to main stream reporter of the ilk of say Jason Blair or Dan Rather. Blog on. David

Reply 2 - Posted by: lonetown, 10/31/2004 7:10:14 AM The MSM woudn't have to look over its shoulder at the bloggers if they were telling the truth in the first place. The bloggers have made themselves important by filling a truth void. A void crated by the deliberate manipulation of the news by The Independent (proven numerous times), the NYT (proven countless times) and the rest of their ilk (who ignore their own standards for their own ideology).

Reply 3 - Posted by: nolie, 10/31/2004 7:11:26 AM As Aunt Esther used to say, "The truth will set you free."

Reply 4 - Posted by: FEZIWIG, 10/31/2004 7:20:49 AM Jesus said it first!

Reply 5 - Posted by: LAW428, 10/31/2004 7:22:30 AM Your Aunt Esther got that from scripture, which is filled with truth that would serve us all very well... now, if we'd just read it!

Reply 6 - Posted by: perfectsense, 10/31/2004 7:32:32 AM To be a hairdresser requires professional training and a professional license. There are no requirements to call oneself a reporter.

Reply 7 - Posted by: 1940s guy, 10/31/2004 7:40:48 AM Any smart political writer can read these forums, and hundreds more, to get a wealth of original ideas and talking points for a stump speech.

Reply 8 - Posted by: Julianne, 10/31/2004 8:02:51 AM Having a degree in Journalism? It won't make a journalist or reporter either. They set out to change the world and most of them by lying and twisting what is really going on in the world. They can change it all right. Yuk, they make me ill. Thank goodness there are people like the smart intelligent bloggers out there who are the real specialists with intellect to boot!

Reply 9 - Posted by: brg119, 10/31/2004 8:45:21 AM Thank the Lord for sites like Lucianne and Fox News (even tho I get tired of the silly democrats they have on especially Holmes) so that us bloggers can get a different view. Every time I see Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, or Peter Jennings, and the rest of their reporters, I get sick. Their ego is bigger than the Hildenberg. Apologies to the Hildenberg.

Reply 10 - Posted by: Ardys Parrish, 10/31/2004 8:54:51 AM The ability to write is a talent one is born with just like the ability to sing, to draw, to heal and on and on. They are all inate talents which can be refined by education and practice. However, there are many fine singers and artists and writers in every small town who practice their arts as hobbies or sidelines and never become known beyond their small environs. The internet has allowed some of these talented writers to reach out into a larger audience where their talents can be appreciated by many and they still remain in the environment in which they are comfortable and free to perform. They are TALENTED nevertheless. I feel blessed to read them.

Reply 11 - Posted by: Jaybird, 10/31/2004 8:58:35 AM Did Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John go to journalism school?

Reply 12 - Posted by: Hobbiest, 10/31/2004 9:27:40 AM I wonder if those pooh-poohing the bloggers also look down on the New York Times' Thomas Freidman because he also took a class in journalism, either. Any moderately bright person can learn how to source a story and write to the five W's of newspaper English in a short amount of time. What the bloggers have is something now absent in modern newsrooms: The ability to be skeptical of the claims of the political left and an openness to listening to experts other than the usual suspects on the matter already on the newsroom's Rolodex.

Reply 13 - Posted by: gop_guys, 10/31/2004 9:33:03 AM I can't tell you how much I've learned from both bloggers here at Lucianne and other sites. Thank you conservative bloggers everywhere. Blogging, where truth and facts rule!

Reply 14 - Posted by: Dolley Madison, 10/31/2004 9:35:02 AM I think that people can be taught to write; we did it when we taught a classical education. There are styles that can be defined and taught, such a narrative, expository, persuasive; however, we have given that up in order to indoctrinate and dumb down a populace to make them fodder for the government. I do think that there are those that are more talented at writing, and have a way with the pen, but many can be taught how to write and do a decent job. My uncle says that the world belongs to the man that can write, so important is it that you learn to write, if you want to be a leader. We should be teaching our students how to do it, instead of abandoning them.

Reply 15 - Posted by: nancyb, 10/31/2004 9:56:51 AM Clear writing comes from clear thinking. That's why we're getting such a lot of really good writing from bloggers and a pony-less load of qaqaa from the Dims and their toadies. (see Spanish for definition of "qaqaa".)

Reply 16 - Posted by: YY4U, 10/31/2004 10:21:02 AM In Anne Coulter's book "How to talk to a liberal..." she mentions that only 14% of the populace were on the web in 1996 -- now 2/3 are. She also pointed out what I thought when I read about the raTHer hit piece with the fraudulent documents --- how much of what the media told us in the past is a lie?

Reply 17 - Posted by: saryden, 10/31/2004 10:26:13 AM This is not "an American election marathon with the usual media rituals." This is the ongoing war that parallels the War against Terrorism.. this is the battle between Conservative, mainstream America and the Leftists of the World, who seek to own us, steal all we have earned, and turn us over to the mercies of the inept, corrupt U N. This is where it goes Right(smile), or it goes very, very wrong. The Cradle-to-Grave life, offered by John Kerry and Socialists Internationale, grows increasingly shorter, as their big governments and "free" healthcare sap the economy. Then bureaucrats decide who most deserves the small amount of available care in order to stay alive. Oh, say, do you remember last summer when all those hundreds of old people in France died in the heat wave???

Reply 18 - Posted by: esgaroth, 10/31/2004 10:28:36 AM I too am in complete awe of those bloggers who are successful in not only getting the word out about current events and news, but do it in such a way as to draw a tremendous readership. I tried blogging myself, and while I had a great deal of fun with it, soon realized just how much goes into running a blog and how it can literally consume every waking hour. I decided that I am not cut out for such a thing, as I am only a housewife with no connections and can only riff on what has already been reported. My deep respect and admiration to all the wonderful bloggers out there!!

Reply 19 - Posted by: YY4U, 10/31/2004 10:47:04 AM America has had a "revolution" in every century of its existence. In the 18th cent., we rebelled against the Brits. In the 19th cen., the South rebelled against the North. In the 20th cen., the Left began a bloodless revolution, quietly taking over the government and its appendages. First the bureaucracy (forties), then the media (fifties and sixties), then with the help of the media, the House and Senate and through them the judiciary. Only the presidency was really in the hands of "we the people". In 1992, they had reached the epitome: Leftists controled media, judiciary, House, Senate, Presidency and bureaucracy. In 1994 "we the people" had a "temper tantrum" according to Peter Jennings (Leftist media). Since then, the Left have been in disarray, trying to figure out what went wrong. Y2K sound them around the bend. Now, in the 21st century, there's another revolution -- this one led by the bloggers. We're taking back our contry from the LEFT.

Reply 20 - Posted by: PJSam, 10/31/2004 11:00:50 AM What bloggers have done is expose people like:John F Burness Senior VP for Public Affaires & Gov Rel.,Duke Univ. (see FPM article)...are we after the terrorists he is creating to be anti American? when it is obvious that John B is the problem and is hiding the truth and lying to the public to keep his job. This is the new PC/Anti American position held by many liberal people...say one thing to get elected through the bias MSM and then the insiders know that you are their man to support anti Americanism and abuse US taxpayers (advanced gathering of votes) Swiftboat Vets are fighting the same PCantiAmericanismMSM. So is John & Ken with the exposure of David Dreier's real voting record rather than how he says he votes campaigning...this has resulted in an anti free speech Action with possible jail time through a Republicans Group. I see another example in the call to Rush from N.Ireland supporting his conservative show and Pres Bush (listening on the internet). The problem is you now see a trend to replace people like John F. Burness (once exposed) with the likes of corrupt dictators like Mugabe, Saddam, Kofi Annan etc. by elitists.

Reply 21 - Posted by: Aussiegirl, 10/31/2004 1:12:02 PM None of the greatest writers of the world ever went to a "J" school or had a university degree -- and none of the great early journalists did either. This is a silly modern construct, intended to employ talentless fools to teach and indoctrinate other talentless fools to shill the party line to an unsuspecting public. The blogs have freed the public from these propagandists of the left and placed in our hands the power of information -- unvarnished and unfiltered. The rest is history. The samizdat (means self-published in Russian) in the old Soviet Union brought about the beginning of the end of that empire when brave writers disseminated their work secretly amongst themselves and other groups. Modern blogging is the modern day equivalent of the invention of the Gutenberg printing press which gave average people access to printed knowledge for the first time, unfiltered by the church and political powers. It is the modern day version of Thomas Paine's pamphleteering of the revolutionary era. And like those inventions, it too will bring about a political and cultural revolution.

Reply 22 - Posted by: jgat, 10/31/2004 2:42:26 PM The strength of the blogger movement is not that a certain person can publish important information but that the information is immediately subjected to the knowledge and correction of millions of people a few of whom may know more about the subject than the initial blogger. Dan Rather would be much more believable if he first had to run the blogger gauntlet with his news programs.

Reply 23 - Posted by: mobyclik, 10/31/2004 2:46:57 PM It's also getting harder for the LSM to 'Lie By Ommission.'' We've all seen their articles/stories/tv reports where we KNOW some info is missing. The bloggers pick up on that and report the WHOLE truth. It's only going to get worse for the lying, liberal media. That's a good thing.

Reply 24 - Posted by: roxe, 10/31/2004 4:16:04 PM #17, isn't it known as "Logan's Run"?

Reply 25 - Posted by: YY4U, 10/31/2004 6:21:31 PM Remember in the early days of TV how the "print journalists" looked down their self-important snouts on the TV "journalists". Sound familiar. Now both are looking down their noses on the bloggers. For nearly fifty years, the country has been slowly directed toward Euro-socialism ("Logan's Run" as mentioned above) by the Workers Socialist Party (the real name of the Democrats). Without the "mainstream" media, this could not have happened. Now the bloggers have upset the apple cart and the raTHers, Brokaws and Jennings along with the "print" journalists are fighting for their turf. Unfortunately, their turf is to deceive us and filter the news so that we cannot make intelligent decisions.

Reply 26 - Posted by: Mother of AL, 10/31/2004 6:39:28 PM Actually, if one reads and sifts what is read, there are quite a few knowlegeable people on the Internet. There are people on Lucianne who obviously have excellent connections and are very experienced. There are blogs, of very intelligent people (such as Powerline), where one can become very well informed. Besides, I bet ole' Danny boy is lamenting the fact that there is someone on the Internet that is an expert in the ball printer *thing* (obviously I'm not), on the old electric typewriters that supposidly printed the memo about Bush!!!!! As I read about *the pajama people*, they have always been out there, but usually only had recourse to their local paper, and then only if they chose to print it.

Reply 27 - Posted by: YY4U, 10/31/2004 7:03:20 PM 26 is right. In the past when someone knew the media was lying, the only recourse was a letter to the editor which may or may not be printed. The "Pajamahadeen" took raTHer and the rest of the media by surprise. Who knew there'd be experts in "ball typewriters" out there? They report "breaking news" like "explosives missing in Iraq" only to be shown up again when some blogger points out the explosives disappeared years ago AND was reported AT THE TIME. No longer can the "mainstream" partisan media control the news. Furthermore, a site like Lucianne.com gives one access to a host of sources including sites like the Jerusalem Post. The days of media controlling the news are over. They just haven't accepted it yet.

Reply 28 - Posted by: micktexan, 10/31/2004 7:34:28 PM The 5 W's of Journalism? What, Where, Why, When and Whine.......when your story doesn't win a Pulizer?

Reply 29 - Posted by: Cedarina, 10/31/2004 7:48:04 PM The news agenda was a vast vacuum because none of the MSM was addressing the truth. When it became so obvious that the Left was directing the news media, it was only natural that bloggers would arise to make it lean in another direction toward the truth. The bloggers still have more work to do but they are getting there.

Reply 30 - Posted by: Opsimath, 10/31/2004 7:55:22 PM I don't remember much of my psych 101 but I faintly recall that Carl Jung believed that humans had a "collective" ephemeral interaction with the rest of humanity. To me, the internet and these blogs are a tangible manifestation of that Jungian premise. We bring our best knowledge and experience to the virtual table and it melds with the other posters. The result? Something closer to the truth than one can find on any television outlet.

Reply 31 - Posted by: GirlPatriot, 10/31/2004 7:57:20 PM 'You say you want a revolution...well...you know'. God bless bloggers!

Reply 32 - Posted by: Dimpled Darling, 10/31/2004 8:31:53 PM Bless the Bloggers for revealing the ommissions and lies of the msm. I think the impact of them on the news so far is only the beginning. Imagine bloggers from all over the world posting and communiating with all countries as computers proliferate. The other side of the coin is that we blogger fans and bloggers will get too powerful for the governments and THAT can never be - or can it? Vigilance at all costs!

Reply 33 - Posted by: KiloWhskey, 10/31/2004 9:03:37 PM The article, while spouting the MSM party line, is also reflective of the social and cultural rigidities embedded in UK society. The notion of ''early adapters'' is unknown outside of Carnaby Street.

Reply 34 - Posted by: suenette, 10/31/2004 9:43:56 PM While our (the Pajamahdeen) accomplishments are good so far - we have a much more vigilent and evil enemy to contain/eradicate right here at home which is the infiltration of our colleges. If we are able, we will be sending our young, impressionable - and yes they will be impressionable no matter how much you have tried to teach them!!! - young men and women to be indoctrinated by the liberal left. There needs to be a list created - a credible list of "Safe" colleges to which we can contribute and send our children to. It seems more and more that we are in a fight for our country - almost a civil war - in the mean time we need to watch out for the future of our country which is our children. We need to set up scholarships and grants for those less able to pay... this is an urgent need - the left is already deeply imbedded in academia and I know you've heard what they're inspiring as "experimentation".

Reply 35 - Posted by: Lawsy0, 10/31/2004 10:13:37 PM Going to journalism school to become a writer is a lot like going to McDonald's to become a hamburger. Actually, your chances of achieving your goal would be better at Micky Dee's.

Reply 36 - Posted by: EvanaJoy, 11/1/2004 12:17:22 AM #34 I decided to not go to college and become self-employed instead. (I do think there are some good colleges out there -- but even at good [even Christian] colleges, a lot of foolishness can go on.)