Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Journalism or JournoList-ism?   [Mark Hemingway]

Politico:

For the past two years, several hundred left-leaning bloggers, political reporters, magazine writers, policy wonks and academics have talked stories and compared notes in an off-the-record online meeting space called JournoList.

Proof of a vast liberal media conspiracy?

Not at all, says Ezra Klein, the 24-year-old American Prospect blogging wunderkind who formed JournoList in February 2007. “Basically,” he says, “it’s just a list where journalists and policy wonks can discuss issues freely.”

I've been hearing rumblings about this for a while, and I'm glad Politico finally did a story on it. Basically, "mainstream" journalists from The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, Politico, and many others chat all day on a list-serv with liberal activists and journalists. 

Accoring to New Republic editor John Judis, "There is probably general agreement on the stupidity of today’s GOP," on the list. From a few conversations I've had with some people in the know about the list, that's something of an understatement. While members of the list such as Jeffrey Toobin insist the list isn't "pushing an agenda," why are there no conservatives participating? The article sure doesn't list any. Even though just about every staffer at The Nation, The New Republic, The American Prospect, etc. is on the list, I'm on pretty good terms with just about everyone at NR, The Weekly Standard, and The American Spectator and I know of no one who participates. (Nor is their any similar list-serv on the right.) Have any conservatives even been asked?

Further, one of the most valuable currencies in Washington is access to the press. The article notes that many stories have started on or been shaped by JournoList. If you're a liberal blogger or activist, you can now push your story on the highest echelons of journalism with a quick email. If you're a mainstream journalist, is it really ethical that you don't give the opposing view equal access? 

I think the real answer here is simply that there are no conservatives on the list because this just confirms — yet again — that mainstream journalists are privately hostile to conservative ideas and are somewhat committed to advancing liberal ones.

But good thing White House press secretary Robert Gibbs is denouncing the Republican "cabal." They're probably discussing what to do about that on the JournoList right now.

03/17 11:07 AMShare