Sound Politics: A Tale of New Media

February 19, 2009

A Tale of New Media

Take a few minutes to read this New Republic story on the rise of the Politico. An interesting tale on the aggressive and evolving world of online journalism and reporting.

Indeed, whatever comes of the Politico in the future - and that's an open question with the furious attention of the '08 race behind us - the story speaks to reality of online content: it's fast-paced, quick and digestible, compelling (or at least it should be), 24/7, and sometimes because of all the above...people end up posting something that turns out to be flat wrong in the rush to break news or rapidly add commentary.

Welcome to your new media.

Posted by Eric Earling at February 19, 2009 06:03 PM | Email This

Comments

1. It would be nice if one of our local papers would show the same spunk as Politico. They aren't willing to go for the difficult story that might step on toes. Yes, the MRSA story was deep in investigation. But it didn't challenge the political powers.

Take the visit by Murtha earlier this week. Here is a guy who is dogged by scandal for selling earmarks for campaign donations. Why didn't anyone ask if that's what he was here for? He said he wanted to split the tanker deal. What he didn't have to say was "Give me a few dollars and I'll make Airbus go away."

And why were there no questions about the relationship of Norm Dicks to Murtha? And to PMA, the lobbying firm raided by the FBI? Murtha leads the pack in donations, but there is Dicks, at number 4, getting over $91,000. For those dollars, he got over $12 million in earmarks for PMA.

But not a word from the Times or PI. No wonder they are dwindling. These aren't difficult stories to find, they don't take expensive investigative teams. They just take some guts to take on the powerful.

Posted by: janet s on February 19, 2009 07:48 PM

2. Interesting. I too (like #1) wonder if the PI will have the guts to try something like this when they make the decision on whether to survive. I hope they give it a try and invest in it. Eric...were they to do that I think you (if you had a desire) could be an invaluable part of that effort. :)

Posted by: Duffman on February 20, 2009 06:44 AM

3. I am taking a wait-and-see attitude with Politico.

Being newbies, they need "access" more so than other "news" organizations (and I got "news" through without too much rolling eyes). So, their success will be tied to access to Obama and the administration. Asking tough questions will lose that "access". Wish it weren't so, but facts are facts.

Posted by: swatter on February 20, 2009 07:02 AM

4. "I just came down here to visit with you guys and now you are grilling me"

Someone should have broken out a violin.

ANYTIME an elected official meets with either a press corps or even a single reporter he should expect to be asked questions, and especially tough questions.

Since the main stream media was Obama's best campaigners and lapdogs I'm sure he was expecting a "yes we did" meeting. They have completely forgotten that it is their job to hold the feet to the fire of any elected official, and not just look the other way when they make rules left and right only to break those rules the next day, also left and right.

5 days to read the stimulus bill posted on the internet, yea right.

2 days for sure, yea right.

No lobbiests in my cabinet, yea right.

Bring terrorists to justice, but drop charges against them... hmm I see.

and I've only scratched the surface of what is on the surface, there is a lot more we are not being told about and since the media, for the most part, is still in love with this guy we will never hear about it until we have to pony up.

Posted by: Seattle's Son on February 20, 2009 08:16 AM