Why I blog
Rex Hammock wrote a post last week explaining why he blogged. It seemed a good idea, despite it being April Fool's Day, to do the same thing.
I started this back in '04 after reading and learning from Ed Cone and Lex Alexander. I read the discussion going on about the newspaper and felt I needed to join in. I was intrigued by the civic conversation occurring outside the traditional media sources. Sometimes raw, often intelligent, mostly genuine, it was compelling and had the feel of something radically important. The newspaper needed to be there. My theme would be and is journalism.
* As online publishing allows us to expand the journalism we do, this blog permits me to expand the ways I can to talk with and listen to readers.It dramatically extends the level of transparency not only because I can publish anytime but also because the standard is much higher. When you can ask me anything in this wide open space, I feel the obligation to answer. (Not that you always like the answer.) In addition, being active online compels me to read and watch what others are doing. It motivates me to keep up, to learn and to experiment.
* The interactivity with others online is energizing and enervating at the same time. Energizing because so many of the discussions occur among people who care and who move the ball forward. Enervating when the dialogue is mean-spirited and full of insinuation. Still, I've learned from the observations and adjusted my work and the paper's accordingly.
* Leaders communicate in a variety of ways. Sometimes I'm writing to the newspaper staff; got to get the message across however I can. And sometimes leading by example is the best way to get the message across that the world has changed. I also can't resist addressing some of the tragically uninformed opinions tossed out by some of the blowhards in this business.I try not to do it often -- it's not constructive -- but sometimes tough love is just what's called for.
* It's truly fun. I've met smart people from all over the country. I've shared some laughs with smart bloggers in Greensboro. I've gotten to supplement my newspaper column with a bit of personality here. (I said a bit.) And rather than getting into trouble on the mean streets of downtown Greensboro, I'm here at 5:15 p.m.
This is all to say, Why doesn't every editor have a blog?
Seriously. In N.C. alone, we should have a stronger presence. Melanie Sill of the N&O has a blog, but the last entry that wasn't her newspaper column was in February. Same issue with Brian Tolley of the Fayetteville Observer. Ken Otterbourg, managing editor of the Winston-Salem Journal has an active blog, but he uses it primarily to write about stories from the newspaper and observations about the city. Rick Thames of the Charlotte Observer answers submitted questions from readers, but it's not a blog.
Comments (2)
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Lex' blog won't let me post on it about the Katrina fraud.. wonder why? anyway, if any brainiac at the N&R can figure out how to post this over there, please do.. otherwise, here is my response to the Katrina post there...
Please remember that WI Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner was the ONLY person to speak up and say “Whoa, let’s figure out how we’re going to track the massive amounts of aid so we avoid fraud as much as possible.”
He was lambasted by the left and the MSM as being a heartless, GOP S.O.B who didn’t care about the plight of the people.
But now he’s been proven right, but will never receive an apology for his foresight.
Sensenbrenner cared enough that he didn’t want liars and criminals to get away with fraud and screw the government (read: us taxpayers) out of millions of dollars.
But because he is a Republican, his warnings fell on deaf ears and he was painted a bigoted heartless jerk.
He had a good idea, but the real way to eliminate waste and fraud that follows Katrina like disasters, is to eliminate FEMA. Our national Guard and private aid organizations are all that should be needed to provide the Law and Order and other KEY essentials following disasters.
Our constitution does not guarantee Life, Liberty, and the elimination of risk. As long as Americans - combined with the MSM - howl for the Government to step in after an Act of God and take care of *everyone* to the Nth degree, we will deal with the waste and fraud you see here.
The lowest common denominator of our society will always step in to take advantage of the ineffeciencies of government beuraucracy for personal gain.
Americans should be responsible enough to take the basic steps to protect themselves against the risk of a hurricane IF THEY DECIDE TO LIVE ON THE COAST.
I have lived on the coast and helped friends shovel the muck out of their houses. People I know were not concerned with sitting around and waiting for the government to take care of them or figuring out how to game the system. They were to0 busy fixing their property.
In the end all this horrible episode does is lower our entire country to this level of expectation that the government must do EVERYTHING. Even now, the fault is being pointed at the government -- not that every single social problem of the last 45 years (mostly tracked back to "the Great Society") lead us to the horrible lack of personal responsibility and ethic that we now find ourselves struggling with...
We are doomed. Thanks MSM and Nagin and Blanco!!!
Posted on April 2, 2007 8:19 PM
Nothing wrong with the comment function at The Lex Files that we can see. What happens when you try to comment there?
Posted on April 3, 2007 1:43 PM