Thanks for visiting The Nugget's new blog, where we will tackle issues of the day — news, views, quirky happenings. Stuff that makes the paper and stuff that doesn't.
We encourage you to weigh in — this is a place where you can express your opinion, vent your feelings and tell us what you really think. All opinions are welcome, but please keep it clean and above the belt.
Please take a moment to read our content policy below:
Jim Cornelius, editor
The Nugget Comment Policy: The Nugget encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that The Nugget makes reasonable efforts to review all comments and The Nugget may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give The Nugget the right, but not the obligation, to post, edit, exhibit, re-use, publish, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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Jim,
ReplyDeleteBlogs are a useful forum for public comment, providing they're not abused by sponsoring "traditional media" to dodge journalistic responsibility.
As an ex-publisher with weekly, daily and wire service experience, I've had a number of conversations with former colleagues who've worked from the upright typewriter era through to the onset of cyber-media. In our discussions of the "new media" we generally marvel at the delivery technology, but lament the diluted accountability associated with blogs. I was an early user of computers even before e-mail was widely available. I also published one of the first Washington newspapers of any size to go online--in 1996, 92 years after the paper was founded. But I've largely avoided the blogs --either as a reader or contributor. Many friends send me their personal blog pages or links to other blogs that mostly reflect their political preferences. Some of these I find pretentious, not very original and of questionable accuracy. In the latter situation, I usually visit one of the cyber-rumor authentication sites if something looks especially suspicious. One of the most disturbing aspects of many blogs is the anonymity of the originating entity and those who post to it. It's a fault also common with so-called "social networking" sites that enable teenagers (and many others) to insult and ridicule their peers.
Fortunately the Nugget's role is out-front and transparent. My hope would be the blog helps the paper develop a better perspective on the issues confronting Sisters, and that this be used to improve the depth of coverage in the "dead tree" medium. As you probably realize, there's a large group of readers who'll never visit the blog but who read the newspaper thoroughly each week. Don’t forget that core constituency.
Thanks for listening.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteBlogs are a useful forum for public comment, providing they're not used by sponsoring "traditional media" to dodge journalistic responsibility.
As an ex-publisher with weekly, daily and wire service experience, I've had a number of conversations with former colleagues who've worked from the typewriter era through to the onset of cyber-media. In our discussions of the "new media" we generally marvel at the delivery technology, but lament the diluted accountability associated with blogs. I was an early user of computers even before e-mail was widely available. I also published one of the first Washington newspapers of any size to go online--in 1996, 92 years after it was founded. But I usually avoid the blogs--either as a reader or contributor. Many friends send me their personal blog pages or links to other blogs that mostly reflect their political preferences. Some of these I find pretentious, not very original and of questionable accuracy. In the latter situation, I usually visit one of the cyber-rumor authentication sites if something looks especially suspicious. One of the most disturbing aspects of many blogs is the anonymity of the originating entity and those who post to it. It's a fault also common with so-called "social networking" sites that enable teenagers (and others) to insult and ridicule their peers.
Fortunately the Nugget's role is out-front and transparent. My hope would be the blog helps the paper develop a better perspective on issues confronting Sisters and improve the depth of coverage in the "dead tree" medium. As you probably realize, there's a large group of readers who'll never visit the blog but who read the newspaper thoroughly each week. Don’t forget that core constituency.
Thanks for listening.
Lee:
ReplyDeleteExcellent points all. The idea is to energize and engage with the segment of our readership who like this form of communication. We won't forget our print readership.
The accounatbility question is an important one. I will continue to won my opinions, of course. But we wanted to create some kind of forum where people can feel free to express tehmselves without the fears of retaliation or social ostracism that some carry around in this small town.
Hence the blog. we'll see how it goes. Thanks for weighing in.
Thank-you Nugget for providing this forum for the public.Writing a letter to the editor really can be an intimadating experience especially if your opinions are tageted towards the school system and you have children in the schools or family that works within any of the exsisting sytems that make up our city functions.If people use this "blogging" respectibly it will hopefully open up better communication and wellness within a rapidly growing community which more and more seems to be at odds with itself.
ReplyDeletePardon my naiveté, but how does this blog differ from the current electronic editorials section and the comments found therein?
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm missing something, but the only differences I see are that this blog is less directly associated with the Nugget and that here one might post anonymously.
Lee has a good point...these little differences could potentially allow an editor to say or do things that they would never say or do in their paper.
We'll just have to trust the Nugget's journalistic responsibility, I suppose.
Nick:
ReplyDeleteThe idea is to be less formal, more conversational, less confined to addressing news, more able to talk about ideas, feelings, thoughts — things that might or might not find space in a space-constrained print edition or on the website which is an electronic version of same.
It's just one more forum. Thanks for participating.
Jim Cornelius