Monday, February 16, 2009               previous post <> next post

Problem -- Cause and Effect...

It is common knowledge that the newspapers are in trouble -- readership and ad revenues are declining to the point where some papers have declared bankruptcy and others are on the verge. The bulk of the discussion assumes a need to distribute content on-line, raising the specter of cost recovery -- how to pay the costs of creation and distribution.

I submit that the newspapers are asking the wrong question -- they should be asking about that declining readership. Now, that seems fairly straight forward, yet nobody is talking about improving readership -- apparently the newspapers have lost sight of their primary purpose -- to serve the people.

Glenn Greenwald, in order to point out errors in other people's logic, has (several times) emphasized the fact that x preceding y does not mean that x causes y. But, Glenn fails to discuss the process of determining the actual cause of y.

For example, Greenwald has made a big issue of Barack Obama flipping on some important issues -- FISA/Immunity, State Secrets, Guantanamo, rendition. He seems to support a special effort by Accountability Now to campaign against representatives that switch vote from campaign promises -- yet, he fails to explore any individual's (Barack Obama included) reasons for switching.

Greenwald's primary focus seems to be the Washington Media. In a critique of David Brooks, he wrote:

The New York Times' David Brooks and Gail Collins had an online "conversation" with one another this week, and Brooks did an excellent job of explicitly demonstrating most everything that is relevant -- and destructive -- about the mentality of the standard Beltway journalist (h/t reader jm). In fact, much of what Brooks wrote about what he believes tracks almost completely the discussion I had with Jay Rosen on Bill Moyers' show last week regarding the rot of the American political press. 

Glenn Greenwald spends a lot of time talking about that "rot" and next to nothing about what to do about it. Following is a comment from a reader of that same post:

what can we do

what is the most effective way to show our displeasure with the current system of beltway journalism? how can we stand up to Brooks and Broder and the rest and let them know that this cannot stand anymore? how can we show them how much they have failed us the last 8 years and that we are mad as hell and won't take it anymore? please, tell me what to do and i will do it.

-- zepgirl 
Saturday, February 14, 2009 09:07 AM PST 

Please tell me what to do, Mr. Greenwald, and I will do it.

Doug Skoglund skoglund@pdmsb.com

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PS: Ypu know Glenn -- you are really stirring up the waters --you just might accidentally start a movement.