A Revealing Omission
Remarkably, the LA Times has a story about the significance and impact of political blogs.
What's even more remarkable -- albeit more predictable -- is the fact that the Times "covers" the topic exclusively from the left wing perspective. It discusses several of the most prominent liberal blogs -- Daily Kos, Atrios, Eschaton, Talking Points Memo, TPM Cafe -- but completely ignores the existence of their right-leaning brethren.
That's right -- not a single word about powerhouses like Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Powerline or any of the countless others.
Tells you a lot about the Times, doesn't it? Is it more frightening that the Times would simply ignore the right wing blogs, or that it's conceivable that Times staffers don't even know they exist?
What's even more remarkable -- albeit more predictable -- is the fact that the Times "covers" the topic exclusively from the left wing perspective. It discusses several of the most prominent liberal blogs -- Daily Kos, Atrios, Eschaton, Talking Points Memo, TPM Cafe -- but completely ignores the existence of their right-leaning brethren.
That's right -- not a single word about powerhouses like Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Powerline or any of the countless others.
Tells you a lot about the Times, doesn't it? Is it more frightening that the Times would simply ignore the right wing blogs, or that it's conceivable that Times staffers don't even know they exist?
posted by LadybugUSA at 10:27 AM
4 Comments:
Carol if you only contemplate the left-wing navel the rest of the world does not exist.
Originally it was the Right Wing blogs. Drudge is an example of someone who used to have the ear of the MSM but who has been increasingly wrong lately.
Also... the Right Wing blogs you have mentioned have done little in the way of investigative reporting and have not had the same effects as the lefty blogs. The current Gonzales mess was revealed by TPM, a lefty blog I often read.
There's no doubt that lefty blogs are far more powerful and influential than right wing ones. The netroots effort to energise Democrat grassroots, even in places which were Republican strongholds, helped the Democrat cause enormously in the 2006 midterms.
It's my honest belief that the lefty blogs are "bottom up" groups that are interested more in justice and objectivity than Right Wing blogs who are generally "top down" groups that are far more partisan, and controlled by those in the top echelons.
What will really be interesting is when a Democrat wins in 2008 (and it looks exceptionally likely to occur) and when the Democrats increase their Senate majority at the same time. Will these left-wing blogs simply become partisan noise machines, or will they be just as tough on the Democrats when they fail?
Many lefty bloggers were angered, for example, when the Democrats failed to pass a recent bill about removing troops from Iraq. Lefty bloggers are also more than willing to co-operate with Republicans to indict William Jefferson, a corrupt Democrat congressman (the money in the freezer guy).
I'm hoping that, with a substantial Demcoratic majority in 2008 in both legislative and executive branches of government (and it will happen folks) that the lefty bloggers will use their skills to keep the Dems honest.
I say this because I believe that many lefty bloggers are committed to beliefs and ideology more so than they are to a political party. DailyKos is obviously a partisan blog (it is explicitly so) but most of the other lefty blogs are independent of the Dems.
Right wing blogs are simply repeating talking points. To authoritarian to provide anything meaningful. Repeating the nonsense of Fox News, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh is of little value.
OSO and ETC,
Our lovely hostess is a fine example of a blogster that reports from various sources. Fox, Limbaugh and Coulter are rarely used, so where does that come from? I don't see it on any of the rightwing blogs I visit. A couple may refer to other rightwing bloggers for support or to simply give them the props for doing the heavy lifting on a story. But as you know, it was right wing blogs what exposed the Rather fraud, the Reuters photo hoax and the lame sources regarding Hezballah distortions in Lebanon. Plenty of rightwing blogs digging deeply. Your perceptions are distorted, but not to worry. We all favor our own.
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