A Day with Matt Taibbi

Having the opportunity to have lunch with Matt Taibbi and then to later that night hear him speak, was definitely quite a privilege. After reading some of his articles before he came, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but still he seemed to be exactly what one would expect of him. A little bit harsh with his words, but undoubtedly more shy in front of an audience the safety of pen and paper or the wall of his computer screen.
His journey reminded me of Jeremy Scahill's climb to where he is, yet at the same time was extremely different. He set out with a subbornness of wanting to break to the rules maybe just to break them, but to prove he could pursue writing however he wanted and still have an audience. He showed me, personally, that the path of an independent journalist is not a straight line to the top, but rather a web they may have you spending time all around the globe. This is in stark contrast to the ideals taught about becoming successful in mainstream media, it can be a direct line to the top, but so much is comprimised on the way. In the case of Taibbi, the road may have been longer and less direct, but nothing was comprimised and in the end more was gained.
One question that Taibbi was asked during his speeh that struck me, was if he was just similar to Ann Coulter. I have read portions of both of their work and I can honestly say that besides the harsh language not much is similar. Coulter uses the harsh language in order to garner public attention and get books published. Much of what she says has no meaning behind it. Taibbi writes with a higher level of intelligence and the harsh language is a part of his writing rather than forced into it. Although some of his articles are a little ridiculous, it is clearly his style of writing coming through in more of a "I don't give a shit" way rather than Ann Coulter's "look what bad words I called public figures" tactics.