Monday, July 31, 2006

Radwanski's Rant

Political Staples is showcasing Adam Radwanski's column ("Divided they Blog") from today's National Post. I glanced at Adam's piece early this morning when my Post first arrived, but then my husband dragged me out for a 6 a.m. power walk (ugh!). I forgot about it until I read Greg's post "Column du Jour".

Anyway, I hope you can access a copy. It's well worth the read for any blogger or blog enthusiast. Not that I agree with everything by a long shot.

Radwanski criticizes a particular comment on a right-wing blog as an example of extreme bigotry. He also seems to feel that political blogs are a waste of time because they tend to polarize everyone into ".. left and right-wing camps, each taking endless cheap shots at each other... And for evidence of its impact, we need only look at political discourse south of the border."

Then he goes into a huge rant about media like Fox News and certain radio talk shows exasperating the divisions. Funny how he never mentions CNN though (Certainly Not the News).

Anyway, Greg has his own very excellent analysis and lively discussion going on. Please take the time to check it out.


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Another Blogging Tory link to this story: Uncommon Truths - "On Radwanski"

Also: Radwanski's Ramblings (hey that would have made a great title for this post!) and Western Standard Shotgun - "MSM vs. the blogs"

This comment by Ezra Levant is priceless:

"...In fact, the very idea of an MSM enforcer shaking a finger at too-rough bloggers sums things up pretty well -- an impotent scold who can't get the public to obey their politically correct line. That's the MSM in a nutshell..."

That's one to savour.

10 comments:

Jeff said...

you illustrate part of adam's point in your own comments. you use the term "rant" several times while describing your take on the piece. surely one can have a point of view that differs from yours without being accused of ranting.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

We are talking about semantics again. Your interpretation of the word 'rant' may differ from mine.

I claim poetic license!

Noun: poetic licence
Usage: Brit, Cdn (=poetic license)

1. Licence used by a writer or artist to heighten the effect of their work
- poetic license [N. Amer]

www.wordwebonline.com

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Let's see now.. Radwanski's Rhapsody? Radwanski's Rhetoric? Radwanski's Rubbish?...

Anonymous said...

The Soviet Union controlled the press to control the people. The free countries could look down their noses at them and point to their own "free" press.

The press provided free speech, as long as you owned a press, but you were a pretty big target should you get too "anti-government", since most media are paid for by advertising. A kind of symbiotic relationship developed. The voice of the people was conveniently filtered through the letters to the editor page.

I found the biggest surprise of the "steve vs. parliamentary press gallery" episode was not that they were bickering with each other, but how it revealed the cozy relationship between media and government. Judges can issue publication bans on trials and they are followed. Politicians know the handful of reporters on the Hill and have staff who study how to deal with them.

Blogging threatens the "family compact" running our media. Any comment about blogging by paid newspaper columnists will naturally be negative. Using one of the press's favourite expressions, just "follow the money" if you wonder why all the negative press about the blog world.

Next we will be hearing about "blog stalkers" just like we hear about "myspace stalkers". Stay away from that nasty blogland, where there's not much advertising, and who knows who you're really talking to there. It's dangerous! Read our paper instead! Watch our TV instead!

I do like reading the paper, and I like reading pieces by professional journalists. But they're scared of the loss of control.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I found the biggest surprise of the "steve vs. parliamentary press gallery" episode was not that they were bickering with each other, but how it revealed the cozy relationship between media and government.

Very insightful. Yes, the days of entitlement are over for the PPG too.

But they're scared of the loss of control.

Sounds like what Ezra Levant said in the update I quoted. Yes, Radwanski et al must be feeling a bit uneasy.

Anonymous said...

Some points re: the merits of blogging.

1. While I share the view of many conservative bloggers that most of the MSM tends to have a liberal bias, I see a disquieting tendency to discredit anything and everything found in the MSM.

Alongside that loss of trust in the media, there have been other institutions that have lost stature and credibility, if not legitimacy, in people's eyes: governments, police forces, corporations, religions, the judiciary, the family, etc. All of those institutions on which societies are based if they are to function well have seen their credibility eroded, sometimes with reason, but not to the dangerous point we seem to be getting to.

We may eventually reach the point where, having destroyed the necessary trust between all those institutions and the citizenry, societies descend into complete anarchy.

2. As to the polarization of left and right-wing camps, there is an element of truth. Some people comment to agree, to react to a comment, to disagree, to add more insight or information. In such cases, blogs serve a purpose.

Others who comment, however, do so to stir up controversy, or worse, to goad others to anger, using scornful insults and ridicule. Maybe they keep score on how many "victims" they are able to demolish, not with their logic, but with their derision.

3. Liberal Supporter said: "Any comment about blogging by paid newspaper columnists will naturally be negative."

This may be true of some columnists, but certainly not all. What about reporters/columnists like David Akin, Paul Wells, Andrew Coyne, Elizabeth Thompson, Lorne Gunther and others? In addition to their reports/columns, they have their own blogs (some better that others, some more prolific that others, IMO, of couse).

As with everything else in life, everything in moderation ...

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Gabby - Well said! Once again you are the voice of reason. I am very glad that you are a regular contributor to this blog, because you never cease to provide valuable insight and balance.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Joanne TB.

I believe we live in very dangerous times; extremes on either side of the political spectrum help no one but the mutual enemy of both camps.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Gabby - How very profound!

OMMAG said...

It's kind of amusing to see the response to what is basically a piece of junk journalism.

Radwanskis column did not (IMO) break any new ground he said nothing that has not been said already'
Interestingly enough I've seen numerous blog and comment entries going over the same themes.....
Bloggers seem to be ahead of the MSM by about a 1/2 year in some areas of discussion.

I wonder how much stuff MSM types like Adam R. are poaching for material these days!