Number of Bloggers in the U.S.

Business Insider posted an interesting article stating that there are as many paid bloggers in the U.S. as their are lawyers. Those numbers seems surprising, but regardless show how fast blogging became a viable career for many. It also provides a real opportunity for up and coming journalists to enter the debate and have a chance to be taken seriously, which just wasn't possible before.

As bloggers have increased in numbers, the number of journalists has significantly declined. In Washington alone, there are now 79% fewer DC-based employees of major newspapers than there were just few years ago.

The article goes on to continue to explain that journalism isn't dying, but rather is simply becoming more efficient. Although the long term effects of trimming down journalism, negative or positive, have yet to be seen in such an uncertain time.

A Chat with Amanda Michel

Chatting with former Off the Bus editor Amanda Michel, who is now working for propublica, was a great opportunity to get inside the world of citizen journalism.

Mayhill Fowler was the citizen journalist that got Bill Clinton to go off on Purdum for the article written in Vanity Fair. (The whole story here). She approached him after a rally as he walked down the red roped line and spoke to who he assumed were all Hillary Clinton supporters. Since that time with someone like Bill Clinton at a rally is so short, Mayhill didn't have enough time to identify herself as a reporter. Although I think it is always best to identify oneself as a reporter when it is appropriate, it does not mean Mayhill was going against journalistic ethics and standards. She did not try to trick the former president or approach him in a private setting, but rather at a public rally where he should be accountable for his words. Maybe her question was a little leading, but politicians are responsible for whatever comes out of their mouths, not just their thirty second sound bites that are put on the nightly news.

Michel spoke about how Fowler received a lot of public criticism for reporting the infamous Huffington Post "bittergate" story, regarding Obama's comment about rural pennsylvania. Many people felt that Fowler betrayed democrats by reporting this story, however a real independent journalist is not afraid of blowing this whistle on both sides when necessary. This was something the public should know about and it shouldn't be kept secret for fear of messing up a political candidate's campaign.

Michel also talked about how people showed up at Fowler's house and she was being attacked as an individual reporter, something that mainstream journalist don't have to worry about as much. I thought Michel's point about having a news organization backing you up was interesting and something I had not fully considered before hearing her talk about it. Citizen journalists, those who are truly seeking the truth, do enter themselves into the public eye and must realize the potential danger they are putting themselves in, especially those with a large readership, who have a certain expectation about content. Jeremy Scahill faced similar obstacles when he began criticizing Obama's picks for cabinet members.

...And Go Where the Silence Is

Amy Goodman and Glenn Greenwald spoke downtown at Ithaca's state theatre as they both accepted the first ever Izzy Award, in honor of the late and great independent journalist Izzy Stone. Both had great things to say about the path that independent media is paving and seemed to have high hopes about where it is going next.

One of my favorite portions of Amy Goodman's speech was when she showed the video of her calling out Chris Matthews during the MSNBC birthday celebration about the firing of Phil Donahue for his anti-war political views. (Watch it here.) I thought it was so great that Amy Goodman chose to use her time on MSNBC to point out their true bias for the war as many mainstream media outlets at the time were participating in. It shows that Amy is willing to put her own career on the line and maybe upset some people to get her point across, she is truly not afraid of the reprecusisons of speaking out against the voices of the mainstream media. Her intelligence and perseverance to give a voice to what would be silent is something all up and coming as well as current journalists should aspire to.

Glenn Greenwald could have said nothing else other than the quote (Greenwald also blogged about this topic.) from Newsweek's Evan Thomas, as he tries to explain his view of the role of journalists in society:

"By definition, establishments believe in propping up the existing order. Members of the ruling class have a vested interest in keeping things pretty much the way they are. Safeguarding the status quo, protecting traditional institutions, can be healthy and useful, stabilizing and reassuring."

As a journalism and politics major, this is exactly what I would define as the opposite of a journalists role. I almost couldn't believe it when he read the quote. There it was, a mainstream journalist admitting what their role has been over the past decade and seeing it as a contribution to society! I was glad to see the reaction of the audience was clearly as aghast as I was. I guess I should stop being surprised at the mainstream media's true agenda. I would have love to asked Lester Holt to respond to this statement and hear what his response would have been.

Glenn Greenwald also boldly stated "There's no way to be a journalist without being independent." (Check out the article from CommonDreams written about the event.) Greenwald explained that journalism by definition needs to be independent in order to be useful to the rest of society. If journalist's work is placed within certain perimeters, because of a larger corporate ownership or funding from big donors with strings attached, then what kind of real content will be produced? We would end up with corporate agenda pushing media, which is what our mainstrem media seems to be comprised of now.

As cynical as I get the more I learn about the media's situation in our county, it is nothing less than refreshing to know there are other options and other business models for journalism that actually work. There is definitely lots of opportunity floating around the journalism world. The public needs to continue pushing for these other options and not just settle with what they give us.

Militainment?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRMQ626DVHM

Check out Lester Holt in action on Countdown to Iraq. In class we spoke about how his show was essentially "militainment" showing off weaponry used by the military and further pushing the government's agenda. The war is inevitable and check out our awesome weapons.

Big Corporations as the new Anthony Comstock

Who is censoring our media now? Arguable, no one. We are the country of free speech and open information. Then why has the recent past felt like a decade of secrets that the public is only aware of once the consequences have already set it?

Anthony Comstock played the role of a post office censor during the 1900s. Taking pride in silencing the voice of those adviocation social change, including the likes of Margaret Sanger. Corporate media has done a good job of painting the picture they want us to see, always to their greatest benefit. Are they the new Anthony Comstock?

Thankfully today with the growth of the internet they are continually becoming more and more accountably for what and how they report on stories affecting the public. Finally there is a way to compete with big media corporations. While its also a great chance for them to readapt and change, many are simpley running scared, denouncing independent media's work as unreliable and "not real journalism." Luckily the rest of the country doesn't seem to think so. It will be interesting, especially as a (hopefully) future journalist, to watch how the rest plays out.

The responsibility of a journalist

NBC's Lester Holt came to speak to Ithaca on Tuesday as paart of the Jessica Savitch speaker series. I enjoyed hearing about his career and how he didn't finish college, but still worked his way up to the top. His work ethic was certainly one to admire.

However, I had trouble agreeing with what he perceived to be the role of independent media. He said he appreiated their contribution, but they were working under a lower bar than mainstream journalists and had more freedom to report stories that may not be 100% true. While I agree they may have more freedom in genereal, I would argue journalists like Amy Goodman and Josh Marshall have gotten it right more consequentively compred with most mainstreamers. I couldn't help but think his observation was especially interesting given his role in anchoring Countdown to Iraq. I think independent journalists have raised the bar far above mainstream media.

Bumper Sticker Scandal?

No freedom of speech for those who thought they were entering a field to practice it. NYT's Craig Whitney sends out a memo about how bumper stickers are only funny when people at other companies have them.