Bloggers and journalists
I’m on my way to D.C. to participate on a panel with Jeff Jarvis on blogging and journalism. The audience is public radio news directors, and I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.
The organizer has selected a theme of what bloggers wish journalists knew about them and what journalists wish bloggers knew. Of course, the theme suggests a wall between the two, and this is the most important matter to address. With bloggers increasingly setting the news agenda (it’s already that way in sports), the professional crowd is concerned about losing their authority. Add to that the financial pressures on traditional media, and there’s a strong undercurrent that democracy is about to crash and burn. It’s not (and few will actually say that), but there’s still a culture clash between the two groups.
It’s amazing to me that we’re still having this debate, but feelings run deep. The two groups have much to offer each other, and I hope that is the takeaway for the audience. Jeff and I are on the same page about all of this, so it’s going to be a fun give and take.
