Reply #21: Excellent Write up.

[DireStrike]

I was just thinking about this myself, but I fear I'm not as articulate. I had the basics of a peripheral idea formed, but I doubt it would have gotten into post form.

My thinking was spurred by the MSM reporting of Gannongate. Their tagline: did the bloggers go too far? screamed out that it was not a story. They could not lay claim to the story, so they lashed out blindly at its source. And how did they do that? By trying to discredit "the blogs". Saying that we went "too far" is to say that our story was not a proper story. By covering it then, we must be amateurs, or we must have done something wrong in the covering. By using this excuse, they can offer the same story we did originally without having to do any work at all.

Of course, whether anyone went "too far" is itself a nonstory. This event happened, and similar ones will continue to happen. The coverage by blogs happened, and will continue to happen. Blogs don't care about going "too far." They do not base their power on credibility, just on reporting and discussing (emphasis on reporting.)

The MSM is working hard to hurt this story. There are only two explanations - first, that it might show their ties with political power, and second, that it might prove to be a threat to their livelihoods. I find it hilarious to watch them thrash about, trying to fling mud at electrons. They don't have a clue what is happening. This must mean that they don't know what they're doing wrong. They shame themselves with their ignorance, but to show knowledge of guilt would be worse. I am glad to see them taken down a peg(the first of many to come), and am also glad that it seems the problems flow from stupidity and not malice.