The local newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, barely covered Netroots Nation 2011. Indeed, the STrib covered the ultra-conservative response conference more than NN11.
Where were the press kits? Where were the reporters at the Convention Center? Where were the Netroots organizers?
I just called the STrib. As a subscriber for several decades (and subscriber to the eEdition), felt more than a little ashamed of it's non-coverage. After being shuttled through several departments I talked with a Deputy Metro editor who had no comment on the record. I hope I left enough messages that someone higher up will get back to me to speak on the record.
More rant under the fold.
As a long time resident of Minneapolis, I was happy that Netroots Nation came to my town. I wrote several dkos diaries introducing attendees to the area's charms, recorded several radio interviews for my own dkos blogs and KFAI-FM. Even did an interview with kos himself.
And then... nothing.
Whatever Netroots Nation is, it's not a "news" story. Despite at least three sitting senators and many congressman, despite 2400+ attendees stomping around downtown Minneapolis, despite qualified and intelligent people saying important and true things.
Just any old speech isn't news... except when it is.
The mainstream media has different standards for the left and the right. And that's partially your fault. I'm looking at everyone reading this and the entire "new media". You blew it, and you're blowing it again.
In retrospect, I didn't see many actual reporters at the conference. I saw lots and lots and lots of bloggers and streaming video and photographers, all of whom are doing very little but preaching to the choir. Did the Netroots organizers make a press kit? I saw one beforehand, but I didn't see press releases. If so, I (covering the story for the radio) didn't get one.
I'm constantly harping on the conservative news media's lack of journalistic standards. At this point, the STrib is not a newspaper, it's another Red Star that just prints the party line. (They have good comics and other entertainment, though.)
Now, I have to harp on the "Progressive New Media" for not being media savvy.
Perhaps I should have been alerted to the echo chamber by the lack of interest in the conference by Cossacks. I interviewed Kos himself, and three days later it's been viewed by 41 people. I didn't expect it to go viral, but I did expect this audience to be interested.
Perhaps I should have been alerted to the timidity of the left by refusal of comedians to pounce, as I ranted about in my NN11 Day 3 diary. If it's not worth making jokes about, it's not worth covering.
Which is why we should be all over conservative humiliation and liberal successes.
The right is winning because of corporate backing and special interests. We have one major weapon: Truth. And truth is the essence of comedy and the search for truth is the essence of journalism.
We have to control the narrative.
Let me repeat that: We have to control the narrative.
Netroots Nation 11 did a lousy job of providing compelling news, or inspiring others to provide compelling stories.
I can see that those of us who care are going to have to reinvent journalism all over again. Kos did it nearly a decade ago, but now dkos is just an echo chamber.