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So...what keeps blogs from being a legitimate source of news?
Posted at 12:24 PM on June 12, 2006
by Bob Collins
(30 Comments)
Bad bloggers.
OK, the title is a little -- hey! -- snarky. But the guy at Residual Forces works overtime to find conspiracies.
Here's his quote -- which I lifted from Always Right, Usually Correct -- because I deleted Residual Forces from my daily read a few weeks ago. I'm sorry, he's just too consistently wrong to be considered -- at least by me -- as a source of political insight. I can get ravings just by walking four blocks west. I have a good supply of lefties and righties -- and a few centrists -- on my daily list. Some are more logical than others on a fairly consistent basis, but all are worth reading just to see if there's something interesting on Planet Politic. There are, of course, exceptions for which waiting only prolongs the pain.
For some reason, the media sure seemed hell bent on providing full and up to the minute coverage of the DFL convention compared to their canned (pre-written) stuff for the GOP’s.
Just look at MPR’s Polinaut. He’s got multiple posts chalk full of photos, audio links, and coverage for the DFL this weekend. Granted he was not there, and he says he was not working on it, but… he still posted on it extensively. hmmmmmmm Last weekend, during the GOP convention, he was waxing his car and what not. Is this a conspiracy? No, but it is evidence of the motivation for reporting.
Bleah. The answer to the discrepancy, if anyone cares, was actually noted on Polinaut just prior to the GOP convention. I was on vacation. (The announcement of which, by the way, I had to provide after MPR called and said I needed to post something that said I'm not posting. Go figure.)
(Following part was previously invisible due to bad coding by the moron who writes on Polinaut)
Sorry to ruin a good conspiracy. Motivation? My motivation was getting the house in shape, the in-laws picked up and watch my youngest son graduated from high school. Sorry, my kid's graduation -- especially the part where they read his name and said "with honors" -- trumps whatever was happening that week and week-end and I don't care what political party was involved; I wouldn't have cared in comparison. There's real life going on out there and I decided long ago that I wouldn't miss it so I can sit inside and blog if I don't have to. Last week I didn't have to. Unfortunately, over the last weekend I didn't have a choice.
MPR's Web site is a 24/7 operation with 2 people. Do the math. We have no days off except vacation days. If I don't work on Saturday and Sunday, you don't see anything, not only on Polinaut, but anywhere else on the site. I work nights, I work early mornings, I work weekends because MPR hasn't yet sent reinforcements to the online "team." Damned right I'm taking those vacation days off.
Meanwhile, the only other online editor at MPR was updating the site with GOP material on Friday and Saturday, adding all the audio as it came in, adding pictures too. And Midday did give the GOP endorsed candidate an hour the following Monday. And let's not forget that live podium feed from both conventions. MPR provided the same resources and spent roughly the same budget to cover the GOP convention.
But -- and I know this is the part that kills -- there's only one person writing Polinaut. So, move along, there's nothing to see here. Go back to your homes. And remember to recycle the aluminum foil
As long as there's an open thread, nice job by Kennedy vs. The Machine today in fact-checking Klobuchar's appearance on Midday.
So there you go. One example on each end of the spectrum of blog usefulness.
Comments (30)
Oh, um, and... there wasn't a STORY at the GOP convention. Everyone knew every outcome before it started. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make for very interesting news.
That never stopped us before. (g)
So it is ok not to cover something that is news, just because you know what the outcome will be.
You are right, there is no bias in the media at all. Jeez, they report we decide. I don't know why people like me have always thought that the media was not telling the whole truth and was only telling one side of the story.
//So it is ok not to cover something that is news, just because you know what the outcome will be.
(I checked the link in your e-mail address to see if you are Andy Aplikoski). So, are facts optional for this discussion? I just said MPR covered the GOP convention with the same resources as the Democrats, provided the audio feed, and even had the gubernatorial candidate on for an hour. We would've done that with your Senate candidate too. We offered him his pick of days. He said "no." We provided a podium feed of the entire convention. You didn't. Nobody else did. We did. That was my idea, by the way.
And so where's your proof that we didn't cover the news because we knew what the outcome will be?
If it's your view that I shouldn't have taken a week off when the Republicans were having their convention...then when am I supposed to take a week off? First of all, the fact I didn't want to take any time off during the legislative session, added to the situation in which I'd accumulated so much vacation time, I wasn't eligible to accumulate any more.
Is it your suggestion I should've passed up my son's graduation to blog the GOP convention. Should I have given up time visting with my in-laws (who are both elderly and live 1,200 miles away and I see them once a year). Really? You're from the party of "family values" aren't you?
So you tell me. Where EXACTLY was the difference in REPORTING?
Was it that we didn't cover Kennedy? You're wrong. Was it that we didn't cover Pawlenty? You're wrong. Was it that we didn't provide a live feed over the Internet -- the only people who did, by the way -- of the convention podium? You're wrong. Was it that Midday didn't originate its coverage from the GOP convention? You're wrong. Was it that One host, one producer, three analysts, three reporters, and abroadcast engineer weren't working the GOP confab? You're wrong. Was it that we didn't provide Ron Carey a voice when he went down to Rochester to counter the DFL? You're wrong. Was it that we didn't put Tim Pawlenty on the air on Midday the following Monday so people could ask him questions? You're wrong. Is it that we didn't encode the audio from the GOP speeches so people who didn't hear it could hear it whenever they wanted? You're wrong. Was it that we didn't do an entire hour of Midday dedicated to the future of your party as we did with the DFL? You're wrong.
Sarcasm is cool. I like it. It's fun. And nobody appreciates it and can use it more than me. But it's inappropriately used when used as a replacement for a fact because intelligent people can tell the difference.
So let's look at the facts closer:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/02/midday1/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/05/midday1/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/04/gopchances/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/02/pawlentyendorse/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/01/pawlentyprofile/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/01/kennedyendorse/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/01/midday1/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/05/31/kennedyprofile/
According to you, none of these things happened. And yet, there they are.
The thing is though, Andy, you knew EXACTLY why I wasn't blogging last week. But you went with your concocted story anyway. It wasn't that you didn't know the facts. Your post wasn't a simple mistake. It wasn't even a bias showing. It was just clumsy deception.
This is the part where you cut your losses and admit your mistaken assumption. This is part where most politicians think they can talk their way around it -- only to get mired deeper in the quicksand.
Facts are funny like that, eh?
It got quiet in here in a hurry. I would've thought with such a forceful conclusion that spawned the thread, that asking for a fact to support it wouldn't have been that hard.
Unless.....
is this a really weird way of saying you're hiring? cause I could use a new job...
;-)
1) I firmly believe there is a bias in all media. Most of the mainsteam media leans left, if not hard left and it is usually very easy to point out.
2) I believe reporting everything under the sun is not possible and there is a need to filter some of that out. Dog bites man...while is a story is not news. Man bites dog is news. GOP endorses Kennedy, Pawlenty...not news. Sorry. Honestly it is funny, the outcome was known beforehand (at the connivations of the GOP, btw) and because of that it is justifiable in the minds of the GOP partisans to deny dissent at the convention. Yet, somehow the convention was "newsworthy" even though the news occurred long before the convention took place. Sorry, the way they handled everything prior to the convention may have successfully created the facade of unity, but it rendered the convention 99% unnewsworthy.
3) Andy is a nice guy in person. I have been told that I am a nice guy in person. I am an a--hole on the blog. Andy is an idiot on his blogS. His blogs have taken some seriously questionable turns in recent months. I blame it 100% on his Party above all else approach to everything.
The bias in the media is a heck of a great topic and one I'd be happy to take on once we get past the part that's obviously been made up in this case. I think everyone has a bias. I also think readers and listeners have a bias.
Re: news vs. not news: Look, this is the state that elected Sharon Anderson in the primary a few years ago because her last name was Anderson. So while WE may know who Mark Kennedy is and we may know who Tim Pawlenty is, there's a whole lot of people who vote for people on -- shall we say -- something less than the issues at hand. So anything that exposes the people to the candidates is OK with me -- if it's two days of live broadcasts for an event that a lot of folks already can predict, so be it, imho.
I also understand Andy is a good guy. But I wouldn't know since the KvM folks keep cancelling lunch dates with me. Personally, I think they're ducking the issue. (g) Seriously, running one blog is hard; running three is near impossible. Sometimes you blow it. Sometimes people push back and say "you blew it" and can prove it.
Comes with the territory.
If someone doesn't like the fact I think my kid's graduation (and his birthday the day before) and my vacation was more important than blogging the GOP convention, I have no problem with that. Just say that. I'd agree. I love my kids and I cherish those moments and I'm not going to blog during them.
But don't say I stayed home to wax my car because I don't like Republicans and it's part of the grand media conspiracy unless you can prove it. And when you're proven wrong, just admit it and move on. We all make mistakes.
Can't a guy go to bed?
My main point with this whole experiment or whatever that is Polinaut is that it is part of MPR. So when it/you decide to take one weekend off and then work on another one, it is worth pointing out what you chose to cover. Everyone seems to think nothing happened at th GOP convention. Sorry I was there, and you know what did happen. All this "conservative discontent" that is floating around in the media wasn't as noticeable as you would think. There weren't hundreds of Delegates b'ing and moaning about this and that. (NO matter how much SOME people say there was.)
If this was polinaut.com I wouldn't give a rats patutie about this whole thing. But it is not. It is an MPR "column" written by the Senior News Editor of MPR. So again, when one weekend, you find comprehensive coverage and pictures of the DFL event, but the week before there was a link(s) sending you to the "news" division. That's what I am talking about.
And I did not single you out. I also pointed out the newspapers and TV coverage.
The news is meant to report, no matter whether YOU think it is something or not.
Like it or not there are 2 political parties fighting for positive news attention. When one gets snubbed, and the other doesn't, that is going to draw fire. To me it just seems you were willing to spend a lot more effort on the DFL than the GOP, and from what others are saying that was justified, since the DFL had real "news". Sorry, 4 of the 5 Constitutional officers being reendorsed, a guy who has a legitimate chance of being the second GOP Senator from the "blue Minnesota" a heck of a charismatic guy running in CD5 who may be able to break the stranglehold of liberalism, even if it just gaining 33% this time. There was news at the GOP convention, it is just all the people who say that there wasn't don't want to hear it because they don't like it.
I never knew we had a lunch fate picked out. When and where?
That's my point, however. You're wrong. You're saying I CHOSE to cover the DFL and CHOSE not to cover the Republicans. Nothing could be further from the truth. I chose to take a week off and the Republican convention was the same week. I didn't take the week off because it was the Republican convention. And believe me, if I could've taken two weeks off, I'd have taken the same week as the DFL convention off too.
You further implied that the reason I took the week off is because it WAS the Republican convention and that's utter nonsense. I know folks think the world revolves around their political party. And that's great for them. But that's not the way it works for me.
//Everyone seems to think nothing happened at th GOP convention.
That's wrong too. I've already explained that MPR dedidcated the same resources to both conventions.
// But it is not. It is an MPR "column" written by the Senior News Editor of MPR.
No, it's not. It's a blog.
//sending you to the "news" division. That's what I am talking about.
No, it's not what you're talking about. What you're talking about is suggesting motive. That's where you're wrong. Dead wrong. It was explained on the site that Polinaut was on vacation and the reasons for it. You chose to ignore that to concoct a novel about bias.
I never knew we had a lunch fate picked out. When and where?
//And I did not single you out.
Yes, actually, you did. And you questioned my integrity and motive. And you did so, knowing the actual story. A one-man band took a vacation.
//When one gets snubbed, and the other doesn't, that is going to draw fire.
OK, well, a few righty blogs (some lefty ones), Mark Drake of the Republican Party (still waiting for his callback from the CD controvery that he promised) and Heidi of the Kennedy campaign have spent lots of time trying to inform the world how terrible Polinaut is. Now we're to believe that they're upset because they didn't get attention from this terrible thing?
Seriously,you're trying too hard to find a story where non exists, Andy. Nobody got "snubbed." Snubbed as defined means "To slight by ignoring or behaving coldly toward. To dismiss, turn down or frustrate the expectations of.
That implies an intention by me not to post because it was the Republicans. Indeed, had I not been on vacation, and had been working and still didn't post. You'd have been correct. But you're not correct because I was on vacation, spending time with my family and proudly watching my son graduate.
If the Republican Party can't understand those priorities, then what's with the whole "family values" thing?
This is why people don't like politicians. Politicians are so out of touch with the average person that they simply cannot fathom why a father wouldn't blog about a political convention so that he could be with his son on the day he graduated from high school.
I guess it's part of being a politician. I've never understood why politicians leave their young children behind to grow up while they're off in Washington.
But I guess it's just a matter of what you think is important.
On that subject, we obviously disagree. You think politics trumps family. I think family trumps everything. We'll have to agree to disagree on that, I guess.
// To me it just seems you were willing to spend a lot more effort on the DFL than the GOP, and from what others are saying that was justified, since the DFL had real "news".
I have nothing to do with what others are saying and so far you're the only one appears to be saying that I should've given up my son's high school graduation in order to stay inside and blog about the Republican convention? I've done a great job at MPR this year, frankly. I've had the Campaign 2006 site running since a year ago January, I did a good job on Vote Tracker. I've done a great job on Polinaut. The Web site is one of the finest, most comprehensive news sites in the country and, frankly, if my crime is that I took a week off after 9 months, well, y'all are just gonna have to deal with that because I'm going to take a few more off this summer too and I'll bet some politician somewhere is going to have an event and feel snubbed because I wasn't here to document his/her every word.
Life is tough, man.
// There was news at the GOP convention, it is just all the people who say that there wasn't don't want to hear it because they don't like it.
And as I've pointed out a number of times, MPR covered the news. Polinaut didn't for the reasons cited.
If it's your contention that I should've passed on my son's bithday and high school graduation, not chosen to spend time with my aging in-laws, nor take a vacation in order to post about the convention, why don't you just come out and say it and get it on the record?
//I never knew we had a lunch fate picked out. When and where?
I had one with Miller..well, I've had ab out 4 with Miller. I told him you should come along. Then you quit KvM and he got all depressed and said KvM was going down the tubes and he wouldn't be good company. Then you guys reunited or something and everythign was fine.
And I never heard from him again. He's hanging out with the cool people now, I guess. No reason to be see with a hack like me. (g)
wait...so there isn't a job opening?
Sorry, rew. The online news staff has been at 2 since 2000 and I suspect it will continue to be into 2007, too.
that's okay, I'll just clear my schedule for 2011.
KvM can be a great blog if they would focus their attention on Kennedy. 90% of their posts are anti-Klobuchar and when I used to read it regularly I honestly did not know what the reasons for supporting Kennedy were. Pointed that out long ago and received some ad hominum attacks. Andy's contribution to that blog is the venom of that blog...take that for what it is worth, but his venom of late is lacking in logic and reasonability. Have not and will not read BvW because neither of them are worthy of being elected and I am advocating people to skip that race. I'd love to see a turnout of 10%-30% lower than all other races in the area...that will show the 2 parties to stop giving the public crap for candidates.
Back to the media bias. Andy whines about things he does. This case is a perfect example. He picks and chooses what to write about as well. He seems to think that the GOP deserves positive media just because they are on the short end frequently. Sorry, there really was nothing to report from the GOP convention that would take more than 15 minutes total. We (Race to the Right) did not spend any time on it for that reason. However we and KNSI both spent time on the DFL convention because that had news, it had competition within its party (which the GOP seems to run from lately), it had multiple ballots. To compare that properly you need to look at the coverage for the GOP 6th CD which was covered proportionally.
Don't tell Andy that...it would not let him hang from his cross as he seems so quick to do.
Andy is a very nice guy under one of two conditions: 1) you do NOT talk politics or 2) you agree 100% with his politics.
So wait Bob, is Polinaut part of your official duties at MPR? It sounds like, if you are working, you are posting. So, sorry, I think covering one party over another (On Polinaut) is not fair coverage from MPR which is my whole point.
Oh and in the selective snips of my post you saw via Tony, I also took the newspapers and TV to task. This isn't all about you alone. Further proof of my point is how the MSM is still pushing teh DFL endorsed candidates days after the convention.
No you should not for go your family! But some follow up when you did get back to work, would have been nice.
Correct. Polinaut is not in my official duties at MPR, nor is it in my job description, nor does my pay or other compensation reflect these duties.
Similarly, last year, when I helped start the Bleacher Bum blog, that was not only not in my official duties, I was told I could only post to it on my own time. Which I did. Well sort of.
This blog was my idea and I asked permission to do it, and I'm pleased MPR took the risk to allow it. My goal of it was merely to enhance the Campaign 2006 for which I'm committed.
I don't know how to explain my committment to the Web site, other than my Dad gave me a work ethic that said "be the best and work hard." So, to be clear here, I'm not required to work at night or on weekends or before my shift starts. But I am required -- thanks to old Dad -- to do whatever it takes to have this site be the best. Will it ever be THE best? No. Will I ever be satisifed? Probably not. But could I look myself in the mirror if I went home at 5, let the site rot, and fixed it in the morning. No, I couldn't. It's a Type A thing. It'll shorten our life, though. I kinda think you and Brodkorb are the same way. You have a passion. Passion is good. You sacrifice for that passion. That's good too, sometimes.
And your point that I could've followed up is well-taken. You can probably tell by the fact that I'm still adding speeches to the individual candidate pages that I'm still trying to catch up.
But I also, for the record, took that Monday off too and I just HATE -- HATE -- old stories. And by time I came back Tuesday, it was pretty old. If something's in the paper in the morning, I hate hearing it on the radio in the afternoon. It's old. Hate it. Want to move on, and find new stuff.
I think that's a Type A thing too.
I'm truly hopeless. (g)
So if it is an old story, to you, it is not worth posting?
But what if, in today's fast paced world, people only check Polinaut for news during their lunch hour at work? You have become the kind of go to for the political happenings here on MPR's website.
Since they have just minutes, they can't scan through the various candidate pages to see what's new. That is why blogs are more user friendly than newspapers (BTW). You go to one site, scan through the posts top to bottom, and when you hit one you already read, on to the next site. No checking the different sections. No maneuvering through the odd layout and battling pop up ads. Efficiency is key in today's world.
But since a day old story is not worthy of your time, they don't get informed. And whether you like it or not, as long as the URL is www.publicradio.org/columns/minnesota/polinaut, you are still part of the news media in many peoples minds. Regardless of if it is in your job description or not.
I think it is fair to expect that of the 2 major parties, they both get some attention for equal events. I know it is asking a lot of you, but since you are in the news business, it is not for you to decide what is, and is not news worthy.
You are suppose to report. We decide. ???
And again, I would never expect anyone to skip a family function to do this. But some retro-posting might have made the difference.
//So if it is an old story, to you, it is not worth posting?
What's YOUR definition of "news"?
//But what if, in today's fast paced world, people only check Polinaut for news during their lunch hour at work? You have become the kind of go to for the political happenings here on MPR's website.
Then I would say my job is not to make life easier for lazy people. They shouldn't be checking Polinaut as a source of political news. They should be checking the Campaign 2006 site for political news because that's why the campaign site is there. So they should check that first. Then if they want to check Polinaut, they can do that.
//Since they have just minutes, they can't scan through the various candidate pages to see what's new.
They don't have to. I'm sure you know that there is a "front page" of Campaign 2006 where all the news is gathered. The individual candidate pages are at the end of the line and pertain only to that candidate. The main C2006 page has all the stories and talk shows we've got.
Even better, is the MPR Politics and Government section.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/politics_government/
And all of this has an RSS feed. In fact, now that I think of it, really people should be using RSS readers.
// That is why blogs are more user friendly than newspapers (BTW). You go to one site, scan through the posts top to bottom, and when you hit one you already read, on to the next site. No checking the different sections.
I would say, compared to the main Politics and Government page on MPR, choosing Polinaut over it is a very poor choice for either scope, context, breadth, of even efficiency.
//But since a day old story is not worthy of your time, they don't get informed.
I didn't say it wasn't worth my time. I said I hate them because spending time on them is not spending time on actual news. You just said people are coming looking for the latest news. Were they really coming last Tuesday to look for what happened the previous Friday?
Let's assume they were. What would they have found? A note (which I actually posted on Monday) that Tim Pawlenty would be on Midday, a rant on me not ready to buy into the fact Republicans are doomed in September.
Then, at noon on Tuesday -- when they were too busy to check anywhere else, they would've been greeted with this:
"I'm in back-from-vacation mode, cleaning up a few things etc. I've added the audio of speeches at the GOP convention (Kennedy, Pawlenty, Bachmann, Ramstad) to their individual pages on the Campaign 2006 site. I also added Pawlenty's re-election announcement. All of these were, of course, available on the individual story pages but I like to keep a fairly robust collection of audio on each candidate page."
So what EXACTLY is your complaint.
//I think it is fair to expect that of the 2 major parties, they both get some attention for equal events.
Andy, I don't know where to go with you. You say I should take time off for my son't graduation -- or whatever else -- but since I'm a member of the news media, I should stay in and blog so that the folks who didn't lift a finger to avail themselves of the TREMENDOUS amount of information we provided on C2006, won't feel left out.
HOW do you want me to do that? HOW would you do that?
I read in your blog about your grandmother, and I'm sorry she's sick. But now let's pretend YOU write Polinaut -- not me. And I'm you. Ready? Here goes, "you spent time with your grandmother instead of writing about XXX. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
// I know it is asking a lot of you, but since you are in the news business, it is not for you to decide what is, and is not news worthy.
Ummm.... I'm sorry but that's precisely what news editors do. We're not stenographers. And if you want to stop by and looking in our recycling bin full of stupid and gratuitous news releases, it'll probably give you fodder for some innuendo-laden writing.
//You are suppose to report. We decide. ???
I say again. MPR News DID report. What part of this don't you get?
//And again, I would never expect anyone to skip a family function to do this. But some retro-posting might have made the difference.
The difference in what? See, Andy, your complaint isn't that we didn't do our job, we did. Your complaint is you don't feel validated because one component of an entire site didn't pay you the homage you felt you deserved. That's yoru complaint.
And you haven't done your research because as I showed above, I DID note that material on Polinaut referred people to that material.
Polinaut is NOT an archive, it's about today and right now, not last Friday. If you wanted me to spend Tuesday posting stuff while pretending its Friday. Fine. But you know what? You wouldn't have read about Laura Bush's visit on Tuesday on Polinaut as you did. In that case, I'm guessing that folks who turn to Residual Forces for the latest news would've gotten a heapin' helping of "Polinaut didn't post about Laura Bush being in town for Mark Kennedy....Hmmmmmmmmmm."
There's no winning with someone hellbent on being a victim.
MDE and I are the way we are because we are impassioned to prove our points. When we see something that we think would make a good argument for our guys, we run with it. Yes we are partisan people, who have a goal of our blogs. We never hid the fact that we want to get Republicans elected and make fools of Democrats.
How is that like what you do?
(haven't read the last comment, but I wanted to get this out)
"I didn't say it wasn't worth my time. I said I hate them because spending time on them is not spending time on actual news."
News doesn't have an expiration date of 24 hors. In politics, sometimes things are breaking, and others last a week. A lot of people spend Mon and Tues finding out what happened over the last few days/weekend.
My traffic tanks over the weekend, but goes right back up on Mon and Tues. Call it being lazy at work or whatever you like. People are still looking for news (yes, just cause you don't think it is, doesn't mean it isn't) here at Polinaut. again, as soon as this is Polinaut.com, and not at the end of an MPR URL, you can say that you are not part of the news site. But given the fact that you are a Senior News editor at MPR, people take what you say as news. Whether it is your opinion or not. If it comes out of your mouth/fingertips, it is news to them.
Which brings me back to the whole bias thing. You felt it was not important enough to do a recap (after vacation) of the GOP convention here on Polinaut, but you did cover the DFL one, eventhough you were still off work and had things to do.
You (and others have chimed in here) that there was no news at the GOP convention that was not known ahead of time, so it was not worth the effort, since you don't like old news. You ask for a definition of news,
[news |n(y)o?z| noun newly received or noteworthy information, esp. about recent or important events : I've got some good news for you. • ( the news) a broadcast or published report of news : he was back in the news again. • ( news to) informal information not previously known to someone : this was hardly news to her. • a person or thing considered interesting enough to be reported in the news : Chanel became the hottest news in fashion.]
That is pretty broad and mentions nothing about expiration dates.
Like it or not, Polinaut has to be representative of MPR. Heck it is part of MPR, notice how everything here at Polinaut looks just like MPR? Same template. Same sidebar features, ads, links, etc. You cannot just switch hats and say that this minute I am an unbiased reporter covering the news fairly and the next say take everything I say with a grain of salt because this is just my opinion.
That is why people really believe there is a bias. People are human, we understand that, but how much of the opinionated stuff factors into the editorial judgement of the media.
The X through Cheney during a speech on CNN. The emails of ABC reporters. etc etc.
To summarize: "
me: // I know it is asking a lot of you, but since you are in the news business, it is not for you to decide what is, and is not news worthy.
you: Ummm.... I'm sorry but that's precisely what news editors do. We're not stenographers. And if you want to stop by and looking in our recycling bin full of stupid and gratuitous news releases, it'll probably give you fodder for some innuendo-laden writing."
So you're a gatekeeper that gets to filter what the public hears and sees. Perfect. Thanks. That is all I wanted to know. Carry on.
It's not all like what I do except for the passion part. I don't give a damn, actually, who gets elected because for the most part it doesn't matter, especially at the congressional level. I tend to like local politics better because I think people do make a difference there. I'm mostly interested in getting the potholes filled and making sure barking dogs get quieted.
My interest in politics is I think it proides fascinating opportunities to look at human behavior tha reveal real truths.
Take the pay raise issue. Now, nobody had a word to say about the pay raises. You didn't. MDE didn't, the DFL blogs didn't. There were no releases from the parties on it.
Why? Because the political affiliations split. Two members of each party voted for it, two voted against it.
The actual principle behind the issue wasn't important. What was important is whether political capital could be made out of it. The political parties -- because of the split vote -- determined there was no capital to be made out of it and, so, principles took a back seat. Principles often do in politics when they come face-to-face with political capital and I think that's what I find fascinating.
For the most, I think politics is funny. It doens't mean to be, most of the time, because it tries to b.s. people on a fairly consistent basis and, for the most part, people are way smarter than politicians think they are.
The DFL and the GOP in Minnesota have NO clue, even to this day, why Jesse Ventura was elected governor. No clue whatsoever. But the average person does.
I'm an average person. I don't wake up in the morning to swear allegiance to a political party. I don't think politicians are better than the rest of us. And I don't think average people are stupid. That's pretty much what sets me apart from politicians.
//News doesn't have an expiration date of 24 hours.
Perhaps not, but it has an expiration date. And the fact of the matter if you're a newsperson and you're spending time on stuff that everybody else had 2 or 3 days ago, that's time you're not spending on stuff that those same people might have tomorrow. So you're always going to be behind through simple physics.
//In politics, sometimes things are breaking, and others last a week. A lot of people spend Mon and Tues finding out what happened over the last few days/weekend.
And, as I've said, we have a vehicle for that and it served people well. But if people have made a choice NOT to avail of themselves of that, that's their choice and that's their right to make that choice.
//My traffic tanks over the weekend, but goes right back up on Mon and Tues. Call it being lazy at work or whatever you like.
I call it the Internet and the reason it comes right back up on Monday and Tuesday is because people are back at work and people would rather surf the Internet than work.
// People are still looking for news (yes, just cause you don't think it is, doesn't mean it isn't) here at Polinaut.
Well, but I run Polinaut, Andy and if people think this is a great place to get ALL the news, that's their choice even if I tell them they shouldn't do that. That's their choice. They have to live with that.
//at the end of an MPR URL, you can say that you are not part of the news site.
I didn't say I wasn't part of the news site. I said this isn't the part of the news site that people should be going to for a roundup of all the day's political news as we know it.
// But given the fact that you are a Senior News editor at MPR, people take what you say as news.
They shouldn't and I've told them that. I've also told them on Polinaut -- you must have missed it -- that as senior editor, I have no assignment-making ability, I don't influence news content on MPR, I don't have reporters reporting to me, and I don't have the ability to tell editors what to do. For the most part, I think about what role the Web site can play in informing people, I develop new programs (Select A Candidate, Votetracker) etc. I've told the readers of Polinaut this.
//Whether it is your opinion or not. If it comes out of your mouth/fingertips, it is news to them.
How do you know? Have you talked to them? They're not posting their responses here. Have you done research on the Polinaut audience? Are you SURE?
Besides, you don't even LIKE Minnesota Public Radio. You guys have been posting about our shortcomings since God was a boy. You say we don't do a good job all the time. And now you're saying there's some ideal that I have to live up to as a blogger that matches this apparent newfound respect for what MPR stands for? That confuses me.
//Which brings me back to the whole bias thing. You felt it was not important enough to do a recap (after vacation) of the GOP convention here on Polinaut, but you did cover the DFL one, even though you were still off work and had things to do.
Nope, that's not what I said at all. Go back and read it again. What I said in the post was it's my day off (technically) and I have a lot to do and I didn't FEEL like blogging. And as you may have read here, I don't have a choice. I don't have a day off. There are certain times, however, when I simply should be allowed that time away -- my son's graduation and my in-laws visit is one of those times.
You mused the other day about what Father's Day means to you since your father died. My Dad died in 2004 and I know what you mean. If I had another moment to spend with my Dad, and it came during the GOP convention, you know what? I'd take that moment and have two words for the folks who'd whine about it: too bad.
//You (and others have chimed in here) that there was no news at the GOP convention that was not known ahead of time
BEEEEEEEEP. Wrong. Find me the quote where I EVER said there was no news at the GOP convention that was not known ahead of time. I'll give you all the time you need. Go look. Now.
// so it was not worth the effort,
Tht sentence can only be one of two mistakes: an innocent mistake or a baldfaced lie. Which is it, Andy?
//That is pretty broad and mentions nothing about
expiration dates.
Read it again, Andy. This sentence is the expiration date, "information not previously known to someone." If you're in the news business, the clock is ALWAYS ticking. You're trying to tell people somethign they don't already know. "Midnight" is the moment that they know it.
//Like it or not, Polinaut has to be representative of MPR. Heck it is part of MPR, notice how everything here at Polinaut looks just like MPR? Same template. Same sidebar features, ads, links, etc. You cannot just switch hats and say that this minute I am an unbiased reporter covering the news fairly and the next say take everything I say with a grain of salt because this is just my opinion.
Again, I'm not aware of any statement where I said "take it with a grain of salt because this is just my opinion." So your argument is basically you making up what I say, criticizing it, and then ask me to defend something I never said. What I said was Polinaut is NOT the place you or anyone else should come as the most efficient place to get the breadth and context of political news that MPR has.
//That is why people really believe there is a bias.
And if that's why people believe there's a bias, then the problem is the people. The problem is you, Andy, because you just spent seveal paragraphs saying things I never said and then concluded with why you think there's a bias. The problem isn't me, Andy. The problem is you. YOU have a bias that you bring to the reading of what I wrote, that somewhere in the comprehension process changes the words to what you THINK I wrote.
//The X through Cheney during a speech on CNN. The emails of ABC reporters. etc etc.
But many times people throw out the data that conflicts with their previously held opinion. You've obviously tossed out the data that CNN provided that explained the "X" incident. Why? Because you already had an opinion and the data was disallowed. That's your right. But it's not a thoughtful processing of all data to form that opinion. That's what I mean when I talk about reader bias. You've thrown out what I ACTUALLY wrote, because it conflicted with your bias. So instead you substituted something I never said, so that it wouldn't. And then you used that substituted material to further support your already flawed conclusion.
//So you're a gatekeeper that gets to filter what the public hears and sees. Perfect. Thanks. That is all I wanted to know.
But you already knew it. You knew it when you posted a definition of news with one of the definitions being material that's "noteworthy." If you're in the news business, and one uses your own definition, one must somehow determine whether the material on the air fits the definition your provided.
"I don't wake up in the morning to swear allegiance to a political party. I don't think politicians are better than the rest of us."
Partisans in both parties cannot figure out that concept. They are willing to do, say and avoid anything for the sake of their party...not for their own principles. As I call them, "Party over Principles people." That is a Partisan. Andy is among them...and since about January he has lost sight of objectivity in exchange for blindly twing the party line. He, worse than most of the rest, have more double standards as a result than standards to live by.
While MDE's postings are sometimes a stretch for relevance he does not seem to simply create something out of nothing. This entire post is rooted on Andy whining about media bias which actually was not. It does a huge disservice to the actual claims of media bias...just like when a woman cries rape when it was not, or someone claims racism when it was not, or when someone sues for harrassment when there was none. It cheapens the legitimate issue.
And for what? To simply make a bullet point. Why did I leave the GOP? Because of this type of mentality. "It is OK for us to do what we complain about as long as it advances the party." I heard that too much from the leadership, the delegates and people throughout the party. Their views of acceptable have lowered to dispicible (dispicable?) but legal. Legal does not make it right.
Andy misquotes people frequently...intentionally. But he whines when people disagreeing with his pulp quote him while maintaining the context. It is not unique to Andy...left-leaning bloggers do it to. What is unique to Andy is the degree he does it compared to any other blog on the right...including my own. When confronted with a double standard he (like the rest of the party activists of late) engage in personal attacks as a defense.
Hate-mongering? Both sides are doing it. Which is why I detest both sides.
Bob, read Andy's blog just for the past week's worth. Then read KvM. Both blogs are "committed to the election of Kennedy" but look at the ratio of anti-Klobuchar to pro-Kennedy posts. I think their real goal is "the defeat of Klobuchar"...which may be intentional. It is a reality that more negativity than positivity depresses turn out. I believe that is the goal of both parties since both parties deep down are running scared this year. Both parties suck and they don't want the public to know they suck, they want the public to know the other guys suck more.
Andy is just the main cog of the propoganda in all of that.
Tony, ARE you trying to tell everyone that you are not on a mission to keep Bachmann from getting elected? How is that any different? post a lot of negative stuff about her. And remember the whole Kennedy thing. The one that started because he wouldn't come to do your radio show? Yeah, you took that and twisted that into Kennedy was a bad Republican because of it.
Don't even try to say that you don't engage in partisanship. Just because you have thrown off the robes of party politics, does not give you a pass on being partisan. You are as anti- a particular candidate as anyone if it is the right candidate. (LIke for say the entire GOP state wide ticket from Pawlenty to Kiffmeyer to Kennedy, then there is Bachmann, who at last recall, I think you were advocating people to vote against her by voting for Wetterling. Well? Isn't that partisan, but on a personal level?
Bachmann shares far more policies beliefs with you than Wetterling does, yet, because of (insert whatever your new beef is here) something that happened to you personally, you are running an all out political assault aimed at keeping her from winning. What is the difference of someone opposing a candidate who is a Democrat, in order to support the Republican?
Bob sez "Perhaps not, but it has an expiration date. And the fact of the matter if you're a newsperson and you're spending time on stuff that everybody else had 2 or 3 days ago, that's time you're not spending on stuff that those same people might have tomorrow. So you're always going to be behind through simple physics."
By that standard, as soon as one reporter gets to a story, no one else should bother to cover it. What they say MUST be fact, and I'll move on.
OK, I gotta get back to work, actually I am taking Grandma to the Dr. I'll try to pick up on this tonight, but Tony, I'm sorry, I have Republican duties to perform tonight. Sorry, it might be late.
By the way, in noting that me taking time off and not posting on the GOP convention, while posting on the DFL convention when I was back from vacation is an example of the bias..... nobody has commented on the fact that Mike Mulcahy blogged on the GOP convention on his blog (the only blog to which he has "write" access), but did not blog on the DFL convention (presumably because I was).
Why?
//By that standard, as soon as one reporter gets to a story, no one else should bother to cover it. What they say MUST be fact, and I'll move on.
There are two types of news stories -- enterprise story, which a reporter might dig up. And "daily news," which is an event that everyone is at and everyone is reporting on.
The enterprise news story is one others pick up on but, hopefully, not repeat. They should "develop" the story and take it further.
This blog, however, is not a "report." As I've pointed out ad nauseum, MPR provided abundant material from both conventions, followed up , and continues to cover the campaigns.
All stories should be pushed along and developed. People should not hear the same thing driving home from work that they heard driving to work. Nor, in my opinion, should they be hearing stories on the radio or TV in the afternoon that were in the newspaper in the morning. The newspaper folks are working on tomorrow's stories. If the radio/TV folks just repackage and regurgitate what was in the morning paper, rather than ALSO working on tomorrow's stories, they'll always be repackaging and regurgitating.
Which, by the way, is the principle reason why commercial radio news died. Believe me, I know. I was in commercial radio and spent most of the '80s warning against chasing newspapers. It happened anyway.
Quick note
The DFL just today got around to posting on their blog about their convention.
http://www.dflers.org/story/2006/6/15/11841/0241
I think the Press releases went on the main DFL page yesterday.
Not too late for them.
more later.
If you're asking me to apologize for having high standards, I'm not likely to. The MPR Web site is widely known as perhaps THE best public radio news sites in America. I happen to think it's one of the best news sites in Minnesota (seriously, does EVERY blogger have to link to a Strib article?) and I sure as heck known that our Campaign 2006 site beats everyone and it's not even close.
That happens because I -- and some others -- have high standards for how we're going to spend our time.
The other day I was in a meeting planning our election night coverage and working on the online programs that will power our online efforts. That's four months away, but that's 3 months later in planning than what we did in 2004.
Every moment I spend working on stuff from two weeks ago just so folks can feel loved is a moment I can't spend on having the site being even better tomorrow.
We're only human, we can only do so much, and we have families and personal lives just like (most) other people.
Politics is NOT life. Politicians need to get that through their heads.
Andy, you truly are a moron...my issue with Kennedy had nothing to do with his lying about coming onto our show. If your reading comprehension were at a level that people claim it MIGHT be you would have picked up on that fact in one of the many posts and comments on my blog or the many comments throughout. It had EVERYTHING to do with the deceit that his campaign was engaged in AND the fact that they, out of pure disrespect, acted as if they were the only ones in the GOP Senate race. I found that offensive.
THEN you demanded 1st hand examples since you thought there would be none. And I gave a few, among them the incident with his agreeing to do a debate and then lying to my face about it and then no-showing.
But in a fashion typical of your factless, baseless #*%* you act as if THAT were the issue. I am guessing you are really that obtuse to realize the truth. Partisanship has a way of making a person's intellect drop.
As for Bachmann, I will not support someone whose character is worse than my own. Has nothing to do with party affiliation. It has everything to do with something that the GOP used as a mere campaign slogan: Character Matters.
In fact, if you had the human decency to listen to other people instead of constantly hanging around on your "woe is me" Cross you would realize that party does not matter to me. If the person is a good person I will look at their record and platform and decide if I will support them. If the person is not a good person I look no further and will not support them.
Your blog seems to be filled with a constant barrage of hatred to all who disagree with you...and if you do not get what you want (in the case of Bob some type of admission that the GOP Covention was newsworthy somehow) then the world is against you.
Sound familiar, "I can't support who I want?" You say that anytime someone questions your methods, your tone, your hyperbole (which is often) and your absence of fact (which is frequent).
Passive Aggressive and a coward, plain and simple. You are unable to defend your own positions with any consistency or intellectual honesty and as a result you create what your opposition says/thinks/wants.
Be a man and knock that crap off. Defend your positions instead of making up everyone else's.
BTW, I don't know if you noticed but the recurring complaint about your methods, Andy, is the fact that you create what others say...so much so that each posting on KvM by you has very little credibility. Either it is intentional (creating lies about what your opposition says) or you are the worst at paraphrasing. Either way, deep inner reflection to improve yourself would address that first.
And, yes, I already know that I am not a popular person within the GOP. I don't care. The real root of their problem with me is that I have been vocal about what a lousy field of incumbents they have. Kiff = incompetent and overly partisan in the job that should be the least partisan. Pawlenty = fiscal moderate (and getting a pass for breaking most of his campaign platform). Bachmann = have witnessed first hand what a horrible person she is. Kennedy = a facade of a nice guy...very disrespectful. What is comical to me (and my wife picked up on it right away also) is that at Keegan's he actually seemed disgusted by having to be with the non-elite and you guys were so star struck that you couldn't see it. It showed at every, single convention I have seen him at.
I will give credit where it is due...at least Pawlenty seems to enjoy being with us little folk. Why would I not be sad to see Kennedy lose? To help cure that Potomac Fever he seems to have caught the past 4 years.
Being willing to say all of that out loud is why people in the GOP have been engaged in personal attacks against me. And I welcome it...simply proves my point even more. I smile and laugh at it...it vindicates what I have been saying. At least I am willing to stand up.
Now, as I recall you had a huge issue with Pawlenty, posted it, and then buried your principle to become Party Boy. Not just an active member but a complete lapdog who will repeat whatever the party tells you. Shameful...that a man is so unsure of his own positions that he sacrifices his beliefs like that.
I really, deeply, honestly pity you. That is why we keep inviting you on the show...out of pity. Seriously, you need help.
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