On leaping into print

Since writing in Press Gazette about blogs, the comments have been, shall we say interesting. Today, PG’s new media editor Martin Stabe emailed me to ask if me and Graham Holliday would be happy to re-ignite the debate on its

Yeah I can see why you thought it was ‘fucking lame’ - and why your heart would sink on reading it, as you say it’s all been said a thousand times before - but I never knew where to read that stuff. I’d never even heard of Jeff Jarvis. I’m happy to admit it was based on ignorance of informative, essential blogs out there and even happier to report that since writing it, that ignorance has lessened, thanks largely to Graham Holliday and Sally Flood at http://gettingink.typepad.com. Not to mention them there links you’ve posted. Personally it’s the arrogance of some bloggers that I am uncomfortable with, especially the anonymous ones, I think. I don’t know if you think it’s ‘fucking lame’ pointing that out but there you go. I was interested in the discussion about ‘the fishwives of Fleet Street’ over at The Ministry of Truth for example where the bile unleashed against these women writers seemed extraordinary.

Because I wasn’t attempting to make a point about all the fantastic blogs out there that I have since been made aware of, I was making a point about aspiring journalists potentially thinking blogging was the be all and end all.

I’m thick skinned enough to know that many people, much more clued up in blogging than I ever could be, would think it was a load of old bollocks and was happy to add to the debate. While I’m now aware a wider debate has been rumbling on for a long while, this stuff just wasn’t on my radar. I’d never found many blogs that speak to the likes of me, and I’m still looking.

I’m not a big fan of intellectual snobbery and on writing this piece, considered that was what characterised many of the blogs I’d read. Add that to youthful enthusiasm for journalism and it’s a double whammy of misplaced belief in what’s going to lead to a staff job, I reckoned.

But as it was a piece for discussion, and if I’m going to ask the question ‘am I missing the point?’ halfway through I’m not going to bellyache when much wiser people than me respond with “Well yes you are, you daft ****.” Or that was fucking lame. Other comments have included that the piece was ‘meaningless’ Cheers for that! But then someone else has commented that ‘blogs are the new scrawlings on toilet walls’ so it’s been a balanced discussion.

I don’t think it misleads readers as it’s clearly expressed as an opinion piece and has been eloquently countered by Press Gazette’s new media editor Martin Stabe and the aforementioned Graham Holliday who has since guided me to informative blogs, yours included.

As for my reputation, I’d say that was undoubtedly shot to shreds in some quarters anyway, having opted to work partly in PR for a few years, rather than going entirely kicking and screaming.

I’d also hope, gulp, that my track record in journalism isn’t dented by one piece that’s seen as a load of crap by some expert commentators. I’ve got another one lined for /discuss Journalism and two awaiting publication in PG that some people will disagree with, so I’ll wait with bated breath for reaction to them. Jesus I hope they’re not all fucking lame!