John Brummett’s got another gem of a blog post up today. He’s sitting up on the journalistic mountain top, again, throwing rocks down on the Arkansas blogosphere. He’s got no good reason for this barrage, although he did lose a team tennis match this weekend. (The mistakes we make following people on Twitter.)
Mr. Brummett writes on his blog, “I can hear the youngblood bloggers and tweeterers chortling. I can see them beating their chests, pounding that very spot at which “print is dead” is emblazoned across their soiled, smelly T-shirts.”
This statement is a preface to an article he links to in his post suggesting 10 newspapers that will likely fold in 2009 or go entirely digital. For some reason Mr. Brummett thinks “the youngblood bloggers” (he means Lance Turner of Lance Turner’s Blog, David Kinkade of The Arkansas Project, Jason Tolbert of The Tolbert Report and me, although he’s too chicken to use our names) have been acting all George of the Jungle over the thought of newspapers going out of business.
Stupid.
First, a reminder: The “print 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 phrase to their over-hyped debate at the Arkansas Press Association many months ago.
Quite clearly a joke (although apparently Mr. Brummett didn’t get it), Mr. Tolbert argued that newspapers needed vibrant and engaging online propoerties to stay releveant. Hardly a controversial position, Mr. Tolbert made it while praising of the re-design of arkansasnews.com, the online-only home base for Mr. Brummett’s columns and blog.
If Mr. Brummett spent anytime scanning the local blogosphere he would have seen that there is a lively debate happening about the problems facing the newspaper industry.
In a post dated 03.04.09 The Think Tank took great issue with Rep. Jared Polis’ comments over the closing of the Rocky Mountain News, writing, “200 people lost their jobs when the Rocky Mountain News closed, and America lost a 100-year-old newspaper. If you believe that’s a good thing, as apparently Mr. Polis does, I urge you to reconsider.”
Mr. Brummett, it might be good to spend a little time reading before you take to typing on that blog of yours. Had you done so, you would have seen that “the youngblood bloggers” aren’t celebrating this news. Just the opposite, in fact.
Is Brummett still blogging? I didn’t realize that. I used to read it, but decided to check out once he started posting regularly about celebrity awards shows and his painfully middlebrow film preferences.
D.
I have no idea. On Twitter he talks about playing tennis a lot so maybe that’s where he is.
The thing no one mentions is that newspapers are dying because they succk! Last Sunday’s Dem-Gaze Perspective section was the worst.
To the death, Dem-Gaze promotes their bankrupt ideologies. Insensitive to their own cognitive dissonance. Greenberg defends a canon. Oakley skates. Gitz shitz and Masterson cries. All together the editors remain stalwarts of the status quo. Webb waves a worn out flag over the whole thing.
He tells a sad story about a sinking ship. On a personal level it IS sad. But from an Arkansas perspective, it’s up and comings. This paper has defended ignorance and prejudices as tradition. “Tradition” that has shackled working people and sheltered companies. “Tradition” that kept us scared of government by the people and clueless about the real threat–Bob Johnson’s Titans of Industry. “Tradition” that clings to inhumane disparity–in the name of gods no less–and that Webb’s paper paints red, white and blue and calls “American Spirit.”
Why would anyone pay for that in print or online?
If you want a blow by blow account of how the editors of the Dem-Gaze sucked last Sunday go to norgi.com.