Oh no ... it's here.
Submitted by James on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 9:51am
When I first wrote about the mind-meld happening between the Charlotte Observer (O) and the News and Observer (No), I couldn't have imagined things would slide down hill so fast. Not so much on the political front, where the addition of Charlotte writers may have even lifted the overall quality of reporting, but just in general.
Normally I'd link to representative stories to demonstrate the Great Decline, but today I'm not feeling so generous. With front-page features two days in a row on the John Edwards Alien Love Child, it's clear that O-No! has hit the skids. From the continuing milquetoast that passes for editorials to the steady reliance on the John Locke Puppetshow for "expert" commentary, the cutbacks at McClatchy are showing big time.
Experienced business people recognize this phenomenon well. It's called the death-spiral. Companies try to sustain their margins by cutting costs, eventually undermining the only competitive advantage they ever had: deep talent and excellence.
It's a sad state of affairs, and a dangerous one. Instead of serving in their long-standing role as watchdogs, too many news media today are themselves part of the corporatization of democracy, complicit in countless ways with the ongoing sell-out of political power to business interests.
Okay. Some links.
Someone sent an email to chastise me for glib generalities.
Business puffery about something that hasn't and may never happen.
Edwards non-story non-photo.
The Olympics will survive. Ya think?
Puppetshow infiltration.
More Puppetshow infiltration.
Need I say more?
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Jesus Swept, this December
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
the internet will save us!
Or maybe not... I did an online survey (informal, not scientific) on where people get their news, and most people listed their major newspaper, CNN, or WRAL. Very few people mentioned online news sources (a dozen or so people mentioned prominent blogs, including this one, and one person mentioned Under the Dome).
On this same survey the majority of people said that their faith played an important role in their political decision making, but again my survey was unscientific.
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http://twitter.com/Jerimee
Demographics?
Jerimee:
I know you said informal, but I'd be curious what the age of the respondents were.
I have to admit I'm still a daily-newspaper person myself. All the technology in the world can't change the feeling of a newspaper ruffling in your hands in the morning...but I suppose you can always tell who the former Journalism majors were, right? ~sigh~
But I watch less TV news than I use to. After the Fay Ob as my primary source of news, I usually hit here, Drudge, Pam's House Blend, Under the Dome, RealClearPolitics, and then one or two blogs I like.
I'm curious where everyone else gets their news?
Phillip Hunter Gilfus,
DNC Member-Elect (NC),
Democratic National Committee
Pollyana here...
James,
If - and the 'if' is the pollyana part - if the N&O is using the puppetmaster's stuff because it's about NC and it's free, do you think that something like the BlueNC News Service would be used by them? Do we have the ability?
Given the many other sources that they do not use, I suppose that I've just answered my own question. Dang!
- ge
Besta é tu se você não viver nesse mundo
http://george.entenman.name
Besta é tu se você não viver nesse mundo
http://zabouti.tumblr.com
Making news
O-No! reporters have a long-standing relationship with the free-market extremists, who mass produce "reports" and "spotlights" and "news releases" for media consumption. Those manufactured opinions are used much more heavily than materials produced by the left (mostly the NC Justice Center and NC Policy Watch).
We don't have the resources to play in that game. Wish we did, but to go head-to-head with the Dark Side, we'd need upwards of $5 million A YEAR to pump out fodder for media consumption. That's what Art Pope spends.
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Jesus Swept, this December
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
Lockeness
You're right of course, in the larger sense. A prolonged and concerted effort to win their hearts and minds would be a better strategy than whining. (He said, swallowing his pride after criticizing the N&O for whining.)
That said, there's no question that Pope's organizations out-market and out-maneuver their progressive counterparts all day long. Part of it's money, but part of it's also control (which I guess goes back to money). They operate like Rove - disciplined, methodical, and unconcerned with Truth.
It's messier on the other side.
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Jesus Swept, this December
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.