 |
|
Monday, February 13, 2006
previous entry | main | next entry | TrackBack (0)
Nobody give me a column!!
Note to self: if someone is ever so foolish as to offer me a weekly column, re-read this Jack Shafer paragraph: Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make a newspaper columnist. Most columnists start off with a bag full of ideas and endless energy. But the job begins to weigh on even the most talented journalist. He starts writing columns about columns he's written, about his kids, or about the deaths of relatives. He composes columns as open letters to world leaders—or writes from inside their heads. He quotes cab drivers. His columns become more assertion than argument. Finally, he starts picking silly, protracted fights with other media machers.[Yeah, we're not worried about this possibility--ed.] posted by Dan on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM Comments: Note to Dan: A newspaper columnist sounds like a man getting a paycheck for his blog. [ed: hey, I'd be getting a paycheck, too!] posted by: Appalled Moderate on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]Sounds like a blog to me, only that a blog is a daily column... posted by: AB on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]I think the comments are shedding a light on why some aspects of the newspaper business is gripping with the Blog Wave--as we've discussed here a while back. The columnist/reporter may think that they are above the quality of most bloggers, but as someone else pointed out, even if 99% of bloggers are bad at what they do, your overall pool of talent may be in the tens or hundreds of thousands. ( Similar to the argument that India and China are putting out more engineers/people of science than the USA, but they also have population sizes that are easily 4-6x larger. ) posted by: Yagij on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]That last sentence of Shafer's is pretty telling, isn't it? Half of what he's done since he started writing for Slate has involved picking silly, protracted fights with other people in the media, or at least trying to. Is he trying to suggest that it's time for Tim Noah, Will Saletan, and Fred Kaplan to hang up their keyboards, and for Slate to move on. I've thought that myself for some time. posted by: Zathras on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]Occupational hazard. Of course, also known to affect many a blogger. posted by: Hank on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]That last sentence of Shafer's is pretty telling, isn't it? Half of what he's done since he started writing for Slate has involved picking silly, protracted fights with other people in the media, or at least trying to. Uh, Shafer is the media critic. He's supposed to talk about other members of the media. posted by: David Nieporent on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]``Don't get me wrong. Bill O'Reilly deserves it in the shins—or even higher—at least two times a week. His bullying, grandstanding, and modern know-nothingism make him a plump target. But Kristof doesn't want to engage or debate O'Reilly, he wants to embarrass him by playing dada games.'' Does anyone think O'Reilly is someone that can actually be engaged in a debate? Kristof is smart enough not to do that. He's found a way to kick O'Reilly in the shins, as Shafer suggessts is appropriate twice weekly. Yet still... Agreed that Shafer is the media critic and he's picked some good ones. This isn't one, I think. posted by: Matt on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]But Dan, you can also end up rocking the kiosk! posted by: Olav on 02.13.06 at 02:38 PM [permalink]Post a Comment: |
  |