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Bloggers vs. Big Media at the DNC

By Jeralyn, Section Democratic National Convention 2008
Posted on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:10:00 PM EST
Tags: Democratic National Convention (all tags)
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Jane at Firedoglake has an excellent post, HuffPo Lunch: Dirty Bloggers Eatin’ Cold Salmon. Big donors and corporate sponsors continue to make the Democrats' world go round. There are many different levels of media access at the convention. Thankfully, we're still dirty hippies in that world.

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    Bloggers vs. Big Media at the DNC | 28 comments (28 topical)

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    I'll read the post (5.00 / 4) (#1)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:09:21 PM EST
    But your title seems unlikely to me.

    Blogger and Big Media have been hand in glove this year.

    And this from Jane is absurd (5.00 / 7) (#3)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:13:32 PM EST
    People are worried about bloggers being "co-opted."  While that's likely to happen to individuals, I think we're still gloriously lacking the respectability as a group that could make it happen.  Our narrative about the corrupting influence of money in the party is actually a lot more destructive to the established Democratic power structure than the phony Fox Obama vs. Clinton obsession, and that explains why the Dems will happily agree to debates moderated by Fox while relegating most bloggers to the Pepsi Center parking lot.

    The blogs were and are absolutely corrupted in my view, but not by money of course. But their credibility is extremely weak imo.

    I know no one is supposed to write that, it is impolitic. But I am really ghettoized so it does not matter to me.  

    Parent

    you read faster than me... (none / 0) (#6)
    by p lukasiak on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:18:18 PM EST
    I pulled the exact same quote, with the exact same reaction (although i was less 'nice') below, while you were posting yours.  Feel free to delete mine on the basis of repetitiveness!

    Parent
    A blogger's views are at least open to (none / 0) (#7)
    by Cards In 4 on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:24:25 PM EST
    for everyone to read, just like cable news channels or magazines or newspapers.  No one buys Mother Jones expecting to get the Wall Street Journal.  And no opens The National Review hoping to get The Nation.

    Reading a blog and finding out if they are rational is at least free.

    Parent

    Exactly! n/t (none / 0) (#11)
    by Brookhaven on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:28:15 PM EST


    Parent
    I'd agree with you on this: (none / 0) (#32)
    by Grace on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:10:10 PM EST
    The blogs were and are absolutely corrupted in my view, but not by money of course. But their credibility is extremely weak imo.

    One of the problems is that blogs are heavy with opinion and discussion but low on actual reporting skills.  (Of course, this is a problem with FOX and all the cable networks too.)  

    Dems agree to debates moderated by FOX because FOX offers millions of eyeballs.  Most blogs don't have that.  The few blogs that do offer a zillion readers are usually extremely partisan and offer very little beyond political news.  In other words, you aren't going to find Joe Sixpack reading Huffpo by accident where he might catch FOX while he's flipping channels sitting in his recliner.  He might be looking for sports scores but when he catches a glance of "angry Joe Biden lashing out," he'll stop to watch for a few minutes.

    Until blogs establish their own credibility, I think they are always going to be considered "junior media," kind of like the zoned sections in big newspapers.          

    Parent

    Not here (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:12:38 PM EST
    There's a big difference when it comes to the convention itself. Her post describes it accurately.

    Parent
    Well (5.00 / 3) (#4)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:15:08 PM EST
    There is nothing I have read in the blogs that strikes me as particularly iconoclastic to say, NBC.

    I see Cheerleaders so far. that is not my idea of a "Rage Against the Machine."

    Parent

    Jeralyn.... (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by p lukasiak on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:25:45 PM EST
    ...how much would you like to bet that Jane could get into any one of those suites simply by asking the right person?

    ...Do you think that Markos would have a problem getting into those suites?

    Parent

    I was with Jane last night (5.00 / 2) (#19)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 06:39:45 PM EST
    and Pac from Firedoglake as we walked in circles around the suites. She didn't ask, they didn't offer and there was a guard stationed at the entrance of each box. I saw the Denver Post's suite at one point and it said "for providers" and thought that might mean content providers like writers. I asked, and they said, oh no, providers means sponsors. Like Level 3 Communications. Corporate sponsors.

    Markos has zero interest in going to the Pepsi Center, l