By "we," Kutcher was talking about anyone who subscribes to the belief that their views and opinions are just as valuable as the views and opinions of media professionals who have the benefit of editors, producers, fact checkers and years of experience. Put another way, this tribe believes that the views and opinions of columnists, radio talk show hosts, television commentators and other pundits are no more valuable than what you pick up from Twitter, Facebook or the scores of faceless individuals who blog feverishly.Meanwhile, even with their layers of oversight and J-school sheepskins, some newspapers can't seem to figure out what frickin' day it is:
Today is Thursday despite what it says on the front page of many copies of our newspaper.Fact-checkers, hell! How about buying some desk calendars?
I haven't seen irony this delicious since lightning struck the Big Butter Jesus the other day.
When, oh, when will you Wicked New Media people understand that the Internetz is not for mocking self-righteous blow hards? Whether said blow hards are in the Media or Munitions (e.g. America's "Top Gun" on the History Channel).
ReplyDeleteIt makes me sad to see you mocking the Old Media. They are good kids and they try. Ruben is a Supersecret, Death Ninja, Power Elf who has won a journalism award in Area 5. What journalism awards have you won?
Please list all your journalism awards here ________.
Shootin' Buddy
I've occasionally read some of Naveratte's maunderings. I find his perspicacity to be underwhelming. He's another person whom I'd like to buy for what he knows and sell for what he thinks he knows.
ReplyDeleteHe's part of a world where a statement such as, "The car ran off the road," is held to be rational.
Mediahcrity.
Art
What a tool. Narcissism? Pot/kettle. Homes sees the face of narcissism every time he stares into that mirror with "World's Greatest Old-Media Opinion Writer" stenciled on the top.
ReplyDeleteWV: killity. Meh, no need. It's dying on its own already because nobody cares what Ruben thinks anymore.
It's the journalistic equivalent of "I'm the only one professional enough!"..... and then he shoots himself in the foot.
ReplyDeleteNot long ago, I heard from a reader who said: "You know, I used to agree with much of what you wrote, and I looked forward to reading your column. But lately, we just disagree too much, so I'm going to stop reading."
ReplyDeleteSome newspapers are feeding this narcissism by giving up space on the editorial page to print more letters to the editor.
This...person is so convinced of his overwhelming superiority that a reader who disagrees with him is guilty of narcissism? That's some industrial-strength irony right there, without adding the wrong-day-header gag. His editor and fact-checker should have gang-bludgeoned him with keyboards before allowing him to make such a public ass of himself. Who does he think he is, Obama?
Arrogante!
ReplyDeletePretty funny, watching the slobbering idiots attempting to do the turf-protectin racket, innit?
ReplyDeleteOr, at least if would be, if we knew that they'd get laughed out of the halls of Congress with their testimony.
"express opinions for a living"
ReplyDeleteHow does one fact check an OPINION?
"Hey, Reuben, City Editor here. You still think there aren't enough women and minorities in government?"
"Yes, I do."
"Whew, thank goodness I checked that! We'll run that column tomorrow."
They're really butthurt over the Protestant Reformation of the media. To quote Brian Patrick:
ReplyDelete"An ecclesiastical model most appropriately describes this elite journalistic function under mass democracy. Information is the vital substance that makes the good democracy possible. It allows, as it were, for the existence of the good society, a democratic state of grace. Information is in this sense analogous to the concept of divine grace under the pre-Reformation Roman Catholic Church. Divine grace was essential for the good spiritual life, the life that mattered. The clergy dispensed divine grace to the masses in the form of sacraments. They were its intermediaries, who established over time a monopoly, becoming the exclusive legitimate channel of divine grace.
"Recollect that the interposition of intermediaries, the clergy, along a vital spiritual-psychological supply route was the rub of the Reformation. The clergy cloaked themselves in the mantle of spiritual authority rather than acting as its facilitators. Many elite newspapers have apparently done much the same thing, speaking and interpreting authoritatively for democracy, warranting these actions on the basis of social responsibility. Of course, then and now, many people do not take the intermediaries seriously."
And that they cannot abide.
Fear. They think they're done. Understandable to lash out. Death twitch is never pretty.
ReplyDeleteIronic? Yeah. Funny, but scary.
Mike W. is right; it is much like that "only". Equally hollow words, an equally growing irrelevance, and equally clueless to the irony of it all.
But we know what MSM will be (is) replaced with; everything everywhere.
Not so much the po-po.
AT
Y'know...if Old Media actually wanted to crawl off into the woods and breathe its last in peace, I'm sure that most of us would let it happen. Y'know, out of, um, respect and such.
ReplyDeleteHe's recalling the days when city rooms were staffed by misfits, ne'er-do-wells, drunks, and drifters... who had accumulated a wide experience in life, and knowledge of the world.
ReplyDeletePost Woodward and Bernstein, newspapers have been taken over by Journalism "graduates." They may know "journalism," but not one helluva lot about anything else.
but.... isn't it thursday? Did I step out of the turdis a day early?
ReplyDeleteWell, at least the arrogant prick was honest enough to admit that he thought that because he spent all those years as a journalist that he was naturally superior to the rest of us. Now if only the advertisers to his rag would pull their money and people would stop their subscriptions, maybe he would find out how it is to be out of work and on the streets like so many of the people he puts down.
ReplyDeleteWhiny little git, isn't he?
ReplyDeleteArrogant, elitist bastard...not worth the oxygen he consumes...
My dog's opinion is more important than his...
DID NO ONE BUT ME NOTICE???
ReplyDelete"The 32-year-old Kutcher – WHOSE HAS more than 5 million followers on Twitter – insists he has no use for the old ways. "
Post Woodward and Bernstein, newspapers have been taken over by Journalism "graduates." They may know "journalism," but not one helluva lot about anything else.
ReplyDeleteHey, I resemble that remark ... And yeah, Woodstein were tools.
staghounds, are you saying that because Kutcher has more than 5 million twits logging on to his every word that he might be bigger than the Beatles? Why, what would you do if John Lennon said he was bigger than GOD?
ReplyDeleteNo Les, I think staghounds is pointing out the careful fact checking that went into "WHOSE HAS." Now that thar's good Engrish. . .
ReplyDeletewv "fribo" the only way they will be able to get future readers.