Hmmm …
July 3, 2008 on 2:55 pm | In Media, Oddball |
Sorry for the light blogging the last few days. I just haven’t felt like writing much lately. Two things on my mind as it wandered Wednesday afternoon:
1) Are liberals more tolerant than conservatives? H/T to Althouse for alerting her readers to a recent study that suggests liberals are more likely to read conservative blogs than vice versa; ergo, liberals are more tolerant and open-minded, according to Jonathan Chait of The New Republic.
Nonsense. A willingness to read a blog with an opposing view does not denote open-mindedness. I occasionally watch Bill O’Reilly, for example — not because I’m trying to diversify my worldview, but because I like to make fun of him and have a good laugh. I have no philosophical tolerance for Bill-O at all. Couldn’t the same be said of a MoveOn type who reads Ann Coulter or Hugh Hewitt?
Just for the record, Chait’s conclusion is not consistent with my experience here in the Northwest Corner or elsewhere in the U.S. For every gun-toting, God-loving right-winger with no patience for publications like Mother Jones, I can show you a Birkenstock-wearing lefty who can barely “tolerate” being in the same room with a pro-lifer.
* * * * * * *
2) There has been a lot of hand-wringing over recent announcements that Connecticut’s largest newspaper is going to be experiencing yet more cuts in staffing and pages.
This time the cutbacks could be severe, as the Hartford Courant’s parent, Tribune Corp, buckles under the weight of $1 billion in annual debt payments amid shrinking ad revenues and stock prices. Now Trib’s largest paper, the Los Angeles Times, has announced even bigger lay-offs.
As I was telling Jake the other night, for too long most big-media journalists have operated as if they did not have to respond slavishly to the marketplace. “Trust us,” they said implicitly. “We’ll tell you the news we think you need to know and if you want to respond, maybe we’ll run your letter to the editor and maybe we won’t.”
That attitude has pretty much persisted in newsrooms across America, even in the last 25 years as more papers have come under the ownership of corporations whose stockholders have demanded better investment performance than the local owners had tolerated. I feel terrible for those who will be losing their jobs, but …
I must say I find myself in disagreement with my colleagues, Bob Estabrook and Dick Ahles, both of whom write on the op-ed page of this week’s LJ about what a tragedy it is that newspapers have to carry their own weight and right-size to satisfy the desire of their financial supporters to turn a profit comparable to other industries.
In a bit of hyperbole, Bob even suggested that the decline of newspapers cast doubt “on the future of democracy in the United States of America.” I, too, would hate to see proud institutions like The Courant shut their doors or turn into glorified shopper guides, but I reject the notion that newspapers alone are suited to dispensing the quality of information required to keep the nation’s citizenry sufficiently informed. And I say this as a newspaperman …
I really think that if newspapers go south, then TV, radio and the Internet can rise to the occasion. It’s unlikely, however, that newspaper companies will disappear altogether. Indeed, we here at the LJ are likely to survived because we are best positioned to deliver so-called hyperlocal coverage.
I think all but a few of them will simply migrate all of their content to the Web as as soon as they can convince the bulk of their advertisers that the Internet is where the action is.
At that time, since they will have already right-sized and since their distribution and production costs are so much lower on the Web, maybe there will be more money available to hire journalists to do the kind of heavy lifting and reporting required to foster democracy. Just a thought …
P.S. Newspapers were abysmally slow in responding to the competitive threat from the new media. I think Colin McEnroe just summed up quite nicely why some newspapers still don’t get it.
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Point One: This Conservative can’t stand NPR/Kos/Huff Post/NYT. If Libs are dabbling with Rush/Powerline/PJ Media/WSJ, they are doing better than I.
Point Two: As a committed environmentalist, I believe it’s important to avoid newspapers. It’s the least we can do reduce clear cut forestry, noxious emissions, and overflowing landfills (A late 1980’s study found that 60 percent of landfill volume was newsprint! Not sure if that was or is accurate, but I’ll choose not to take a chance that it is.)
Comment by jake — July 3, 2008 #
Based on some cursory research I did, there are more “conservative” blogs than “liberal” blogs, and much more “conservative” think tanks than “liberal” think tanks. Probability alone could help explain why more “liberals” read “conservative” stuff than vice-versa.
The reason I use quotes is I actually don’t go in for this type of branding. Branding has been part of the misinformation problem that interferes with balance. I was turned off by your site at first because of this, but I like the way you at times attempt to see both sides of an issue. As a fellow Connecticut blogger with a mutual acquaintance (Walking in the Berkshires blogger) I’ll be linking to your site soon. Happy 4th.
Comment by Kirk Sinclair — July 4, 2008 #
I think the real importance of newspapers is that they practice Journalism with a capital J. Blogging is not the same as reporting, and reporting is the basis of journalism. You have to get the facts right (which, I know, is not the same as the “truth”) but if you don’t start with facts and accuracy then all you’re left with is spin.
Comment by Dan — July 4, 2008 #
So Jake, your antipathy toward newspapers is motivated by your inveterate greenness? What a good citizen you are …
Kirk,
Thanks for the link. I do try to consider both sides of the issue, although I must admit I find it difficult at times.
I agree that right/left labels are rarely adequate, but sometimes there is no other way to proceed with an argument without stopping to explain every aberrant aspect of someone’s set of beliefs. It’s simply impractical in a setting like this one; hence the ideological shorthand.
Thanks for reading. I will check out the Middle Class Forum.
Dan,
I’m not saying blogs will replace news gathering organizations. After all, what would we bloggers have to write about if there were no journos out there gathering info?
What I am saying is if they are to survive as viable entities, the big papers will have to retool themselves: they will need to right-size and rethink the way they do business. I know it’s hard to imagine now, but in the long, run I think that will good for all concerned.
Comment by Terry — July 5, 2008 #
Hatred and intolerance are not party-specific.
I have acquaintances who breathe the foul, thin air at both political poles and I can tell you there is as much abject hate and intolerance on the left as can be found in any KKK meeting. One local I know who would give her last dime and the shirt off her back to a homeless refugee has publicly stated that she would welcome vivsection of most Republican officials.
Nah, the spittle-spewing Right has no territorial monoply on the lunatic fringe.
Comment by Doug Richardson — July 5, 2008 #
Chicken or egg. Not sure. But at least someone agrees with me!
http://www.micropersuasion.com/2008/07/are-we-living-i.html
Comment by jake — July 5, 2008 #
Doug,
My sentiments exactly and well put. Both sides would have us believe they have a monopoly on good intentions. But, of course, results are what matter in the end …
Comment by Terry — July 5, 2008 #
I grew up in a home where we read at least two daily newspapers and several weeklies. Because of our location we got the newspapers from the next two counties. This was back in the days when almost every county seat in Iowa had their own newspapers.
I still like to read my news in something I can hold, read at my leisure and clip for future reference. Sure I read things on-line, but it is a bother to print off a hard copy. A pair of scissors is faster!
Comment by Carolyn McDonough — July 10, 2008 #
I did some searching and found that all of the small city newspapers I grew up reading are still being published. They are: The Stratford (IA) Courier, The Daily Freeman Journal (Webster City, IA), Boone News Republican (Boone, IA) and The Messenger (Fort Dodge, IA).
The Des Moines Tribune was the afternoon edition of the DM Register mailed to subscribers who lived outside of the Des Moines area. I get a daily newsletter on-line from the Register.
I’m not sure if Iowa has an older population who still wants a newspaper in hand or what the reason is.
Comment by Carolyn McDonough — July 11, 2008 #