T-minus 1 hour until the biggest blogging event in Arkansas history according to Jason Tolbert of The Tolbert Report. I’m speaking, of course, of the Kristin Fisher – John Brummett debate tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Arkansas Press Association building in downtown Little Rock (411 S. Victory). Ms. Fisher reports on her blog that the debate will be streamed live on the “Choose Your News” site, so if you can’t be there with me and the rest of the lonely misfits, watch it on your laptop with a beer.
Lance Turner lays down some ground rules for the debate. Ms. Fisher brings enthusiasm and a “you can’t tell me how it is” attitude (along with with some serious grassroots support). Mr. Brummett, wise as an owl, brings forty years of journalism experience, and a history of Arkansas media rivaled only by Mad Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times. I suppose Andrew DeMillo of AP will be moderating this madness? If so, I hope he can avoid the crossfire.
Don’t forget to watch Mr. Brummett on the Daily Debrief tonight at 6:15. E-mail Ms. Fisher with your questions at kfisher@katv.com.
And hell yeah that’s Mickey Rourke in the photo.
UPDATE: Mr. Brummett and Ms. Fisher fielded questions for more than 90 minutes tonight on an array of topics. They clearly disagree on the virtues of “Choose Your News.” Mr. Brummett declared it a “gimmick.” Ms. Fisher argued that it was a new way to drive web readers to television. Andrew DeMillo of AP did a fine job moderating, and more than 60 people crowded into the conference room at the Arkansas Press Association.
I got to the debate just in time, so I wasn’t able to get the live blogging going – - and I was afraid that pretty boy David Kinkade would make too much fun of me. Still, I did Twitter the entire thing and you can read the tweets here.
Overall, it was a good discussion and a fun night. Several Arkansas bloggers showed up, including Mr. Kinkade, Lance Turner and Jason Tolbert in his “Print is Dead” t-shirt. I took a picture.
Perhaps the quote that I would the determine the most “newsworthy” was Mr. Brummett’s declaration that the “Arkansas Times blog has rendered the Arkansas section of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette obsolete.” I saw that Dem Gaz editorialist Frank Fellone was in the audience. I’d love to get his reaction to that. Max Brantley’s, too.
The two firecrackers agreed to come back together in 6 months or a year and see if they feel the same way. I’ll look forward to that.
UPDATE II: David Kinkade of The Arkansas Project highlights the second most newsworthy comment of the night from Mr. Brummett: “I’m relevant again.” Lance Turner goes in-depth with photos and video. Show-off.
I bit and chose to watch … still watching … how many times in the “debate” did Fisher say “you know”?
Brummett’s right about the Arkansas section. The only long term chance for its relevance is to hire good, niche local columnist. Currently only Kane Webb & Paper Trails fit that description. Their editorials are ignored by most (see election results of numerous years past) and they haven’t brought a columnist of note on board in so long I can’t remember the date, Sweet Tea and the Drivetime Mahatma notwithstanding.
I’d pick them up again if they have columnist writing on interesting local issues. I’ve long thought we need a true city columnist, writing about parks, architecture, local flavor, etc. Instead we have warmed over Gitz and Dana whats-his-name.
[...] And a fuller assessment at the Think Tank [...]
[...] of the Arkansas blogging mafia was on hand, including me, Blake Rutherford and Lance Turner and Jason Tolbert, both of whom had their dorky little ever-present video cameras. [...]
Does Mr. Brummett think that a “gimmick” is a bad thing?
Not according to Random House
gimmick [gim-ik] –noun
1. an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, esp. one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.
They just reported on KATV that 10,000 people had voted on CYN today. I wonder how many of those people read a newspaper today.
Video of the debate is uploading to the Tolbert Report. About 20 minutes of the 90 minute debate is up, with the rest uploading.
[...] of the Arkansas blogging mafia was on hand, including me, Blake Rutherford and Lance Turner and Jason Tolbert, both of whom had their dorky little ever-present video cameras. [...]
[...] I’m always amused by the photograph of fellow Arkansas blogger Jason Tolbert wearing a t-shirt that says “Print is Dead,” and not because I took it. Mr. Tolbert declared the newspaper’s death many weeks back when Think Tank fan John Brummett was giving KATV’s Kristin Fisher a hard time over her Choose Your News venture. The photograph was taken at the infamous Royal Rumble between the two. [...]
[...] is dead” reference is to Mr. Tolbert who argued the point during Mr. Brummett’s epic battle with Kristin Fisher, formerly of KATV and Choose Your News. Mr. Tolbert wore a t-shirt bearing the [...]