Letters to the Editor
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We didn't make the rules
Joan:
May I call you Joan?
That's what I like about the blogosphere as opposed to the New York Times. There, I would have to call you Ms. Walsh. Just as I have to call Dubya, President George W. Bush...even in spite of the fact that I believe he should get what he gives...no respect.
Blogging allows a wide open playing field. And that's why it is exciting and that's why we all do it.
Unfortunately, even "Lefty" bloggers have been prone to be more respectful, polite and democratic (in the pure, not the party, sense) On the right, we have seen vicious, off message, personal-attacking, rabidly blithering bile.
So it now follows that any opinion we have has to be firm, and the right takes that to mean contrary, obstructionist, wrong. So to offset that, our opinions have to be FIRM. And that means we have to play the guerilla game, too. And it is virtually impossible to fail to add passion into the mix...something journalism (UofW, class of 1974) declines to endorse as a characteristic of good reporting, or even "opining".
Can bloggers be partisan kingmakers and independent journalists? Yes. But generally only if they are on the left of center. And even though they may be independent, the very act of having an opinion in that "leftist" neighborhood will set them up as not being "objective" by their scorched earth "right" counterparts.
The blogosphere is exciting and much more interesting and compelling that print or TV. But it's down and filthy dirty a lot more often. Once you figure that out...it's all journalism.