Letters to the Editor

Blogs and the establishment media Much of the media's anti-blog hostility is rooted in less than noble sentiments. Glenn Greenwald [2007-06-27]

• JHillR64:

  You're making some interesting points so allow me to make a few in reply -

  (1) I read many, many blogs, and at some point, even my favorite bloggers write a post here or a post there that is uninteresting to me. I just skip it when I see that topic, or I read it and then decide at the end that it wasn't worthwhile. But I would never think to write to tell them that their topic was boring. Why?

  Because blogging is a very personal activity. What makes a blog a good blog is that the bloggers writes from a place of passion. Because it's written daily, it's spontaneous. Bloggers typically don't choose topics based upon some master plan ("what topics can I cover to attract and please readers"), but intsead, based upon whatever interests them at the moment.

  So coming and telling a blogger that their topic is boring will never have an effect. I won't ever choose topics based upon what I think readers want to read about, and you shouldn't want that. That would take away the vibrancy of the blog and make it contrived. Inevitably, I'm going to write posts here and there that you don't like. Every blogger will. If the number is small, you'll keep reading; if it's large, you won't. But either way, I'm going to keep writing about what has my interest at the moment.

  (2) It is only natural, for several reasons, that I'm going to write about my book on my blog. I put a huge amount of time and energy into writing the book; believe (like all authors) that, if widely read, it can have an impact; and I think that my book -- both its content and how people react to it -- is of interest to a lot of my readers. The ability of bloggers to influence our public discourse is a key issue, and issues relating to my book obviously pertain to that.

  Of course it's the case that I have to and will promote my own book. It would be great if I could write a book and have the whole world spontaneously read it without my doing anything. But that isn't the way the world is. If you write a book, you have to find a way to attract attention to it and induce people to read it. To do that, you use the platforms you have, and one of my key platforms for doing so is this blog.

  (3) I'm considerate of not turning the blog into a commercial for the book. I try to talk about the book only when I have something substantive to say that makes it worthwhile to read. And at this point, I actually do assume that all readers here either have bought the book or, certainly, know that it exists and can buy it if they want. My writing about the book has nothing to do with "hawking" it.

  Quite the contrary, the whole point of the post is that the book is unlikely to get any significant media attention. The only way it will be read is through discussion and attention generaeted by blogs. To suggest that I should refrain from using the one platform that can stimulate interest in my book doesn't make much sense to me.

  Some people are uncomfortable with promotional activities and selling things. To be honest, I have some discomfort doing it. But political writing only matters if it makes an impact, and the reality is, to make it have an impact, doing things of this sort is necessary.

  -- GlennGreenwald
  [Read GlennGreenwald's other letters]
  Permalink Flag Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:20 AM
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