Why Patterico Is Important
Patterico is a long-time chronicler of the L.A. Times' abuse of its position of trust as a newspaper. That's an issue of daily importance for Los Angeles residents like me (all Angelenos have strong opinions about the Times, most of them negative). Patterico's work is important for everyone, however, even for the newspaper's relatively few fans and for fans of the MSM generally. Here's why.
If you're old enough to remember the pre-blogospheric era (and most are), you'll recall that when a newspaper like the Times made a mistake or was unfair or biased, all you could do was write a letter to the editor, which would probably be ignored. Many abuses were simply accepted as facts of life with a sigh of resignation. Uncounted abuses went unaccounted for and the Times pretty much got away with unchecked agenda journalism.
No longer. Review this annual round-up by Paterrico, and see the work he has been doing. Note the sheer number of abuses he has identified and publicized. It's remarkable, and those of us on the conservative side of the ideological spectrum should not take Patterico and others like him for granted. At last the Times is being held accountable and is subject to regular and intense scrutiny by people who can publicize its abuses. We have the blogosphere and people like Patterico, who approach these matters with intelligence and dedication, to thank for this.
I don't know that this scrutiny will change the Times; there are suggestions that it is helping. In any case, we're all better off.
posted by Lowell Brown at 4:52 AM
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2 Comments:
The January issue of Commentary has a fine article by Joseph Epstein entitled Are Newspapers Doomed? that does a great job, IMO, of chronicling the decline and fall of newspaper journalism. As is usually the case with Epstein, the article is also a joy to read and even laugh out loud with. His concluding comments on the current state of newspapers is pretty characteristic:
"About our newspapers as they now stand, little more can be said in their favor than that they do not require batteries to operate, you can swat flies with them, and they can still be used to wrap fish."
That pretty much sums up my view, which even applies to the rather pedestrian local newspaper I subscribe to--and read--which pretty much follows the MSM herd on every story of national import. The entire article is worth the read.
Posted by BlueBuffoon
Meanwhile across the continent to the site of our largest successful attack upon America in its history, where the NYTimes editors are hiding from their own ombudsman in fear perhaps of being nailed with serious Treason or conspiricy charges, in aiding thos attackers by spilling classified secrets. A change will be taking place with this Blue State east coast propaganda organ. Orange jumpsuits are in someone's future, is a safe prediction.
Posted by DL
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