So, the Eason Jordan business has come to a close by demonstrating conclusively that if a hundred idiots bay at the moon simultanously, they can force the resignation of a network executive over a preposterous non-story. What’s especially telling, though, is the response we’ve seen to people pointing out that it is, in fact, a preposterous non-story: Various commenters have glibly dismissed all criticism as signs of old-media dinosaurs who’re hostile to blogs per se, rather than merely hostile to the pointless manufacturing of scandals by people whose own boundless reservoirs of righteous indignation get them hard. This resembles not a little some other familiar movements: Had a criticism of Freud? Obviously you were yourself in denial, disturbed by your recognition of the Freudian picture’s accuracy. Didn’t find Marxist arguments persuasive? Either false consciousness or naked class self-interest conditioned by the inexorable laws of history. The blogosphere’s self-congratulatory atmosphere threatens to become as toxic as it is intoxicating, shutting down the very openness to criticism that is its chief strength.
Eyes on the prize here: What’s really relevant isn’t the blogger vs. professional media distinction. If it had been someone at The Weekly Standard or some talk radio host who broke and flogged this thing, it wouldn’t much matter, though it would’ve had the merciful effect of preventing the fallout from being shoehorned into this silly David vs. Goliath narrative. Both sorts of media are succeptible to the kind of herd mentality that turns something not actually deserving of attention—a careless and immediately retracted remark at a closed-door meeting—into a toy scandal.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Shawn Macomber // Feb 14, 2005 at 6:36 pm
Hear, hear! Most of us are guilty of being overly self-righteous or self-congratulatory. This is one of the primary reasons human beings have friends and family members–to make fun of them mercilessly and shame them when they step over the line. The “blogosophere” is just a giant virtual (circle jerk) society where no one has the common sense to step forward and shame the jackassery going on. Er…I mean, except for you, Julian.
2 Brian Macker // Feb 15, 2005 at 7:08 pm
It wasn’t a non-story. The man claimed that the US Army was explicitly targeting journalist for death.
3 Julian Sanchez // Feb 15, 2005 at 7:11 pm
At a closed door meeting, about 10 seconds before clarifying that he didn’t mean that after all. I’d yawn, but it’s not even worth that.
4 Thomas Vincent // Feb 15, 2005 at 9:22 pm
Well Julian, if you consider asking for the facts of a case and withholding judgement until they got them, braying at the moon perhaps your right. But most of the posts I saw regarding the ‘non-issue’ just wanted a chance to see the tape and nothing more.
5 Julian Sanchez // Feb 16, 2005 at 2:16 am
Thomas:
Honestly? Bullshit. Pure, raw, stinking bullshit. This was a witch hunt from the word go. You must read a highly moderate subset of the blogosphere.
-js
6 joe // Feb 19, 2005 at 4:01 pm
“Various commenters have glibly dismissed all criticism as signs of old-media dinosaurs who’re hostile to blogs per se, rather than merely hostile to the pointless manufacturing of scandals by people whose own boundless reservoirs of righteous indignation get them hard. This resembles not a little some other familiar movements”
Actually, what it reminded me most of was CBS responding to the specifics of the Memo-gate scandal by dismissing their critics as “pajama people.” Except backwards.
7 Marie // Feb 19, 2005 at 9:33 pm
We’ll have an opportunity very soon to see whether disgruntled academics with MSM access can bay with equal effectiveness.
8 Brian Macker // May 25, 2005 at 7:20 pm
… as evidenced by his eventual resignation.