Are We Developing a Blogger Elite?
When I tuned into Chris Lydons Blogging of the President on public radio Sunday night, it was a little like listening to the Sunday Morning Pundits. But instead of the Cokie Roberts, David Brooks, William Safire, Robert Novak, the same old, same olds, we had a new and emerging set of blogger pundits: Jeff Jarvis, Ed Cone, Joshua Micah Marshall, Andrew Sullivan, Atrios . They might have added Joi Ito, Jay Rosen, Doc Searles and the other A-listers, who are now showing up on every conference agenda and on every talk show.
Now I see Jay, Jeff and the others will be speaking at yet another conference.
I know Jay and have been communicating with Jeff. I like them, and they are the movers and shakers of the blogging world. But the reason I like them most is that they are trying to break that teenie-weenie, itsy-bitsy world of media pundits. They speak the language of the bottom-up revolution.
But speaking the language, is not enough. They must take action to diversify those conferences with smaller audience social network bloggers, everyday diarists and, of course, women, people of color and the poor.
How is it done? Here is one suggestion. Each time the elites get a conference, TV or radio speaking offer, they should say I will do it, but I want to bring one of my favorite unknowns with me because he or she has a lot to say.
After all A-listers, remember who brought you to the party.
January 28th, 2004 at 3:20 pm
And that’s precisely why I made sure that Pedram Moallemian of eyeranian.com will be there to bring his knowledge of the Iranian weblog revolution. And I’m doing other things along this line, as is Jay. Doesn’t mean he and I can’t talk; that does not a cabal make. Hell, if we were a cabal, I’d have been in Davos with him!
January 28th, 2004 at 3:37 pm
Jeff:
My blog probably should have been directed more to the conference organizers, broadcast producers and print editors. They make the decisions of who to invite, who to interview, but each of us can enlighten them, as you are doing.
As you know, I am putting together a conference on public journalism and weblogs in Toronto on Aug. 3. Of course, Jay Rosen and you and the others came to mind first. You all are the names, you are the draw because of the information and time you put into your blogs. And yet, just like the blogs, I would like information coming from all directions. It is an interesting challenge.
January 29th, 2004 at 4:45 pm
And that (obsessive nudge) is why I suggested you make sure to invite Hossein Derakhshan (Hoder) to the confab to tell the story of the Iran weblog revolution from the guy who started it all….
January 29th, 2004 at 9:44 pm
Okay, already, I get it. I will contact and get him on the panel. I want to have some sort of international, public journalism, participatory journalism panel. I just have to work out the details.
As I mentioned in another post, Shayne Bowman of We Media has a good plan for a session of useful, take home ideas you can quickly put to work. Did you see that post? The hylocalism work you are doing will fit in fine there. Click on my name below for the post. Tomorrow I am posting some examples Ken Sands is using in Spokane. Things are shaping up well.
January 30th, 2004 at 5:42 pm
Hi, Len… In the spirit of your post, I would like to invite you to do a guest critic’s piece for PressThink, like Cole Campbell did. It would help promote your blog. Give you access to new audiences. Worth doing? It was for Cole, but he doesn’t have a weblog. Think about it.
January 31st, 2004 at 11:24 am
Jay, of course, I would be honored. I am especially interest in the evolution of public journalism and how its DNA has changed through the infusion of techologically enabled participatory journalism. For more on that click on my name below. However, I don’t want to repeat myself. Give me a little time, but I definitely will develop a post for your site.