I’m not one of those who thinks bloggers are starting to dominate news reporting. I think many of us make important contributions to accurate news reporting by providing some of it ourselves, and by pointing out MSM errors and bias. MSM is still very powerful and leans to the Left where it gets plenty of support from the J schools, foundations, the Dems, and political interest groups such as the National Education Association and Moveon.org.
So this is not a triumphalist post. I only mean to demonstrate, with examples related to the DL hoax, how a simple action in one place can quickly lead to unplanned but important consequences.
Here goes:
Back on July 20 a comment was left on a thread at the Editor’s Blog where Raleigh News & Observer exec editor for news Melanie Sill is supposed to respond to readers’ questions and concerns. The commenter, who also blogs as NDLAX84, had issues with the campaign website of DA Mike Nifong.
I saw the comment on July 21 and put up a small post satirizing a PR-puff photo caption at the site of Nifong and his staff.
Durham-in-Wonderland blogger KC Johnson saw my post and decided to post a major skewering of Nifong’s campaign website. KC had it up by July 27. You can view it here.
Now if someone googles “Nifong campaign website” the fourth hit is:
History News NetworkAny journalist wanting perspectives on Nifong campaign website can have KC’s with just a few seconds of googling.
The campaign website of Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong eschews the Ney/Mollohan approach in favor of an Orwellian strategy. The unusually chatty site ...
hnn.us/blogs/entries/28660.html - 23k - Cached - Similar pages
A political opponent: the same thing.
Even Nifong’s staff, including the site's webmaster, can have KC’s perspective.
And that’s all because a commenter/blogger left a comment on the thread of a post of the exec news editor of a paper that supports Mike Nifong.
Talk about unintended consequences! And talk about the influence “the ordinary citizen” can have in the blogoshere.
You really started something, NDLAX84
Nice work, KC
And thank you Melanie Sill and the N&O. It couldn’t have happened without your hosting. (See, Melanie, how we can all help each other? - JinC)
Remember, folks, I’m not a triumphalist. I just see that we can have real influence. I hope it’s enough to turn a lot of things around, not least the injustices of the Duke hoax.
2 comments:
John in Carolina continues to do great work. Did you notice in Melanie Sill's reply to John recently that she says she has already answered his questions? She still refuses to acknowledge the N&O's role in inflaming the Duke hoax case in late March, an important time in the case. She still says she thinks it was okay for the paper to call the accuser the victim seven times.
She answers his questions with: Get you PJ's on and go to bed.
-AC
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