Rubel inadvertently demonstrates the value of traditional journalism
Micro Persuasion: Our Sixty Minutes with Bill Gates. Here's the comment I left on Rubel's gushing account:
"Gee, Steve, some real confronting interviewing there. I'm amazed Gates was able to stay 'affable' during this tough grilling. As for 'Microsoft is one of our clients but I was invited as a blogger' - you're kidding right? You had 'a month to process it mentally' and you came up with "what's on your Zune?". Bring back traditional journalism all is forgiven".
This exercise looks like a way to do PR without the annoyance of people asking tough or aggressive questions. I'd hate to see blogging just become a way of the powerful giving the appearance of being open and accessible by using these carefully orchestrated events with people who seem to be overcome by their audience with the great monopolist. There is not going to be much 'speaking truth to power' in these situations.
"I was invited as a blogger" - I can't get over that.
Surely this is to fierce blogging what advertorials are to journalism...? I don't see this as an old media/new media issue at all.
Posted by: Steven Noble | 14 December 2006 at 08:29 PM
Steven - advertorials are not journalism, they are ads in the form of editorial content. If Rubel's effort is a paid for piece he should declare his interest. Of course, he is keen to deny any such thing - "I was invited as a blogger"
Posted by: Trevor Cook | 14 December 2006 at 08:38 PM
Harsh but true, talk about a softball. I agree though, we must be alert to the possibility of some using bloggers as cover for openness and a badge of "cred".
It's a weird kind of credibility if that's the case.
Kinda like what News Ltd and other big media outlets are doing with blogging........kidding, just a little.
Posted by: Phil | 14 December 2006 at 09:00 PM
Exactly. Advertorials are ads that look like journalism. The Rubel/Gates piece looks like an ad that looks like blogging. If it is, then it should be labeled as an ad.
My point was that disguised ads compromise traditional journalism as surely as they compromise blogging...
Posted by: Steven Noble | 14 December 2006 at 09:29 PM
Trevor:
Great job calling Rubel out. It's sad when one of the most influential bloggers out there (who was invited "as a blogger") asks one of the lamest questions of the panel.
At least Arrington asked about DRM, something of substance.
Posted by: Kevin Behringer | 15 December 2006 at 02:07 AM
Sorry Steven I misunderstood your point you are right
Posted by: Trevor Cook | 15 December 2006 at 05:31 AM