posted a great diary calling for Kossacks to assemble a list of demands to submit to the media.
The ensuing discussion provoked some sub-topics. The one that interested me most was the idea of getting MSM personalities engaged with the blogosphere as a valuable resource. Not everyone agreed that it was possible, but I do. So below the fold is a letter I sent to Keith Olbermann at MSNBC.
Olbermann's show highlights the top 5 news stories "you'll be talking about tomorrow". Last night's number 4 regarded the Gannon/Guckert issue, and I didn't think a well-reasoned letter to him would hurt anything. So here it is.
Dear Keith,
I read your most recent Bloggermann post. I'm very sorry that you came away bruised from your encounter with a blogger. I am also a blogger, posting primarily on Daily Kos, which will expose my politics. I deeply appreciated your coverage during the post-Election 2004 controversies. You gave a great deal of time and coverage to the blogging community and exposed their warts where appropriate. You also gave credit to those who were expending a great deal of time and energy finding and then responding to information that came to light. The fact that the coverage sometimes didn't mesh with what I personally thought didn't make me any less thankful for it.
Those of us on the progressive (read: liberal) side of the fence nearly choke on our breakfast cereal every morning when we hear those from the right decrying the "liberal" media. We feel exactly the opposite. There is daily, well thought-out blogging on the subject of the Corporate media and whether or not it is serving the purpose as articulated by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Franklin. The general consensus on the more liberal blogs is that truth cannot be spoken to power through a complacent media focused on profits. The debate, however, doesn't extend necessarily to individual shows or personalities; rather, the blanket of "profit motive" is thrown over the media's management. When it comes down to individual personalities on MSM shows, the liberal blogging community is relatively split. Some feel that there are those out there to whom the more articulate blogging community can appeal and others feel that even if an individual personality wanted to assist, their corporate management would stifle the coverage.
I believe in the fourth estate and believe that it is an integral and completely necessary component of a government that is truly checked and balanced. Courage in the media includes risking the disfavor of those in power and a dogmatic pursuit of the facts of a story. Perhaps I'm an optimist, but I believe that individuals within these corporate hierarchies believe the same and are looking for those legitimate opportunities to do some true investigative reporting.
Enter the bloggers. With the exception of the fringe elements (which, unfortunately, may be the most vocal), bloggers are doing valuable research and harnessing all the resources at their disposal. They are diligent in procedure, documentation, and ethics. They know that the blogosphere can be a partner/contributor to resource-constrained news organizations by providing substantiated information that raises the visibility of an issue about which they care. In the aggregate, they have what newsrooms likely do not: the time and the passion to pursue the stories that impact and affect their lives - no oversight, no corporate direction, just sheer conviction. When you find the legitimate ones, and I will posit that they are easier to find than the "tinfoil hats", they could represent a valuable way to do true investigative journalism without having to overcome top-down corporate objections. They can provide all the background information as well as new information and provide the citations for that information. In essence, they shorten your investigative news cycle.
At Daily Kos, a big issue is, of course, the Jeff Gannon/James Guckert story. The blogosphere has not let this go: on the liberal side, efforts are underway to procedurally organize and control the direction of additional research, which has already provided new details. On the conservative side, efforts are well underway to discredit the Daily Kos and others as accusation-hurtling fringe players. The fact remains, however, that Media Matters, AmericaBlog, and Daily Kos broke the real facts of Jeff Gannon and will likely be the ones to make the connection to the unanswered questions. In my opinion (and all of this is just that: my opinion), the reporters out there who embrace and find ways to work with the blogosphere will also be those who are consistently abreast of the newest information. The key, it seems to me, is identifying those bloggers who are, in the reporter's eyes, a trusted source. They are there - you need only look.
I'm going to provide a few links below to the original Jeff Gannon media primer article on Daily Kos as well as a few highly credible interviews conducted by bloggers. SusanG and NYBri have been at the front of staying on this story and even a cursory look will tell you that they could be invaluable to your reporting now and in the future. You will, of course, see your fair share of the fringe chiming in. But hopefully, a careful read will show the intelligence, commitment and diligence inherent in these blogs/diaries. My hope is that you, who has been friendly and open to the idea that blogs can provide valuable information to feed your reporting, will keep this issue in front of the American people. And, where appropriate, I am certain you will debunk any misrepresentations made on the blogs regardless of political leaning.
Feb. 9, 2005 - Plame & Propagannon: Joe Wilson Speaks Out
Feb. 10, 2005 - For Immediate Release: The Jeff Gannon Controversy: A Primer for the Press
Feb. 17, 2005 - Plame & Propagannon: Dana Milbank Talks to Us
And my summary of MSM coverage for today (2/25/05) and yesterday (2/24/05) - in which you are prominently featured.
Thanks for reading.
Best Regards,
[signature line redacted]
Does it not hurt to identify these folks and send them reasonable letters? Who knows... We may actually get the response we want.