This is a very, very interesting item from a blog called down the avenue. The post proves the exception to the rule about length. Very long, it is nevertheless compelling from beginning to end if you have any interest in the topic. The post is entitled Battle Between Old & New Media.

Much of it is about traditional journalists warning us that there is a lot of garbage writing in the blogosphere. Unsophisticated readers without so-called BS meters could be misled, manipulated, and misinformed if not careful. I couldn't agree more… but…

The but is, can any reader of a traditional newspaper today be any less discerning, any less critical in his or her analysis of the objectivity at hand?  Of course, pointing to one group's bad behavior to justify another group's bad behavior makes for a weak argument.

But missed in the debate of the traditionalists vs the new media people is that unlike a traditional news publication, the online world is coversational and interactive. To me this means that while any reader may not be skilled at detecting gross manifestations of a writer's run-away subjectivity, he or she is apt to (or will eventually learn) to read the comments of others. Conversely, when I read my daily newspaper and see, for example, the consistent use of the word "insuragent" versus "terrorist,"  or "undocumented guest worker" versus "illegal alien" or vice versa I can mutter something out loud in favor or against the word choices. My mutterings might be heard by another; I can write a letter to the editor which might get published or not; or, I can do what so many are doing these days… I can stop reading the newspaper.

My last point (applause)… a point I've made before… is this: Subjective newspapers (which is an all-too-frequent redundancy) wear a mask of objectivity. Blogs make no pretense of such a thing. In my world, that means these newspapers are dishonest and misleading. At least the garbage as well as the good that exists in the blogosphere wears no disguise. Or, if it does, readers rip away the mask.

I hope you can take a minute to check out down the avenue, the post, and also perhaps read a bit about the author. I don't know this person, but if there were a career path that would ideally prepare a person to write about these matters, this is it.

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