The
National Press Club:
Both journalists and bloggers will debate whether there's a difference between them, on Fri., Apr. 8, at 9:30 a.m. The panel includes Jeff Gannon, whose question at a presidential press conference focused attention on the issue; Ana Marie Cox, editor of Wonkette.com, and Congress Daily's John Stanton.
Yes, you did read that right.
John Aravosis of AmericaBlog has both the initial smackdown and the death-blow. Steve Gilliard savages further.
In response, Sean-Paul Kelley of The Agonist wrote an open letter to the National Press Club. I joined others in signing the letter.
An Open Letter To The National Press Club
Members of The National Press Club,
We, the undersigned bloggers, are very concerned about how liberal political bloggers are being systematically under-represented and belittled in the mainstream media, academic settings and media forums. By being intentionally excluded away from these venues, we are effectively pushed out of the discourse of opinion-leaders. The result is that the conventional wisdom about blogging, politics and journalism, as it concerns liberal blogs, becomes a feedback loop framed by the Conservatives and their media allies.
Indeed, just a few weeks ago, The Brookings Institution hosted a panel that originally included no liberal political bloggers and yet while including numerous conservative political operatives in the event. We registered our protest and the Brookings Institution's response was simply to invite a few liberal political bloggers to attend, yet not sit on the panel, as we had originally insisted upon.
Today, however, we are faced with an entirely new situation that is more insult than misrepresentation. The discredited conservative media operative Jeff Gannon, nee Guckert has been invited to sit on a panel at the prestigious National Press Club to talk about the scandal surrounding his access to the White House and more generally, the similarities and differences between bloggers and journalists. Guckert's token liberal counterpart will be a gossip blogger and sex comedy blogger. While we have nothing but the greatest respect for Mr. Graff and Ms. Cox we believe that neither represents bloggers who write about hard-nosed politics. And as for Mr. Guckert, he isn't a blogger, he's barely a journalist, and not a single political blogger involved with the Gannon/Guckert scandal, or otherwise, has been invited to sit on the panel to counter Mr. Guckert's arguments.
Therefore, we the undersigned bloggers, respectfully but firmly insist that a serious political blogger such as John Aravosis, of Americablog.org be included on the panel to fairly and accurately represent our industry and us. Mr. Aravosis has agreed to our request that he serve on the panel as our representative and is available should such an invite be forthcoming.
This situation is simply unacceptable. We will push back against the growing bias and sloppiness we see in the mainstream media as it concerns serious political blogging. If we do not we will never achieve any semblance of balance in the media. If we do not, we abdicate our ability to tell our own side of the story. If we do not we leave it to others to define us and defame us.
The list of bloggers signing this open letter is growing, but here's were it stands:
Sean-Paul Kelley,
http://www.agonist.org
DCMediagirl,
http://www.dcmediagirl.com
Ezra Klein,
http://ezraklein.typepad.com
Echidne of the snakes,
http://www.echidneofthesnakes.blogspot.com
Amanda Marcotte,
http://www.pandagon.net
Mark Karlin, Editor and Publisher,
http://www.BuzzFlash.com
Matt Stoller,
http://bopnews.com
Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
Lindsay Beyerstein
http://majikthise.typepad.com
Shakespeare's Sister,
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com and
http://www.bigbrassblog.com
Bob Brigham,
http://www.SwingStateProject.com
Dave Johnson,
http://www.Seeingtheforest.com
Matt Singer,
http://www.leftinthewest.com
Kos,
http://www.dailykos.com
Kari Chisholm,
http://www.blueoregon.com
Steve Gilliard,
http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/
Crooks and Liars,
http://www.crooksandliars.com/
Brian Balta,
http://balta.blogspot.com
That Colored Fella
http://www.ThatColoredFellasweblog.bloghorn.com
Anna Brosovic
http://annatopia.com/blog.html
skippy the bush kangaroo
http://www.xnerg.blogspot.com
David Neiwert Orcinus
http://www.dneiwert.blogspot.com
Julien 's List
http://www.educatedeclectic.blogspot.com
General J.C. Christian,
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/
Laura Rozen,
http://www.warandpiece.com/
Liza Sabater,
http://www.culturekitchen.com
ACTION ITEMS
- If you have a blog, go to The Agonist and add your name to the list
- Call Julie Shue at the The National Press Club and politely insist that they include John Aravosis of Americablog.org at their event. Here are there numbers: 202-662-7500 or 202-662-7501 or email at tglad@press.org, info@npcpress.org
- Spread the word.