Take-away Feud in Hackney
I love a good feud, and there’s the makings of a really ripe one in this week’s Hackney Gazette. In the editorial, Gazette Opinion, one of our friendly, neighbourhood hacks is taking a pop at the local blogosphere.
SOME bloggers can be remarkably precious about their weblogs considering many are the web equivalent of the nutty tub-thumpers at Speakers’ Corner.
I can’t say I’m precious about mine, but the nutty tub-thumper bit is spot on. Give me a tub I like and I’ll thump merrily along. Anyway, pushing on:
Don’t believe all the sanctimonious drivel about citizen journalism. Most blogs are little more than a self-indulgent soapbox for those arrogant and egotistical enough to believe their opinions and observations deserve a public airing.
Occasionally, a blog will spark controversy and come to the attention of the media via computer search engine alerts.
It’s accepted practice - particularly if a public figure makes controversial remarks on a blog - for newspapers to use them as source material for a follow-up story, subject to the paper contacting the person quoted to check that what appeared is accurate.
For bloggers to moan that what they themselves put in the public domain has somehow been pillaged because a newspaper hasn’t acknowledged them smacks of breath-taking petulance.
Miaow! Who on earth can the Gazette be thinking of? Maybe Dave Hill knows…
(ps - a free story for Hackney Gazette hacks: if your search engine alert has led you thus far, you might want to note that Cllr Akehurst has now come out in favour of extraordinary rendition and as a supporter of imprisoning people without charge in the appalling conditions at Guantanamo Bay. If he ever becomes Hackney Council’s Cabinet Advisor on Crime and Community Safety, we’re going to be even more fucked than we are already).
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Ah yes. Blogs are a Pooterish irrelevance but it’s a great thing the press is on hand to publicise the things they unearth.
It’s an interesting line of argument to take from someone who is clearly too modest to air their own opinions unless they have an especial authority with regards to the topics on which they speak.
It is only right to note that many newspaper journalists - local and national - are unable to do the digging into stories that the more obsessive, time on their hands bloggers can due to a lack of resources and a short-sighted desk-bound school of story getting which is forced on them by the parsimonious jackasses who run many media groups today. So lifting stuff from blogs is understandable in that contest.
For the fragile self-esteem of the press and bloggers speaking as one who has a foot in both camps. Get over yourselves, darlings.
Comment by bill — 4th July, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
the issue with Gitmo, in my mind at any rate, was the matter of no Habeas rights. That position has be rectified in the recent SCOTUS decision of Boudimine v Bush.
Rendition is pre- Boudimine Gitmo with steroids.
Both were attempts to avoid jurisdiction. I am staggered that a labour man of the people rage against the machine bollocks boy like Luke would openly support rendition.
There goes that seat he longs for.
say bye, bye Luke.
Comment by kris — 6th July, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
‘Most blogs are little more than a self-indulgent soapbox for those arrogant and egotistical enough to believe their opinions and observations deserve a public airing’.
lol. Funny that. I feel exactly the same way about the contributers to the Hackney Gazette.
Comment by kris — 6th July, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
I think “come out” is a bit of an overstatement. It’s not like my views on any of these subjects have ever been secret. Presumably revelations to come are: “Akehurst comes out as fan of Israel/nuclear deterrence/ID cards/EU/proportional representation/elected mayors” or “Akehurst has ginger hair”.
Comment by Luke Akehurst — 7th July, 2008 @ 10:22 am
Fair enough, but I must say I was pretty darned surprised by your views on rendition…
Comment by Ben — 7th July, 2008 @ 10:25 am
I suspect the Labour party were too…
Comment by Lord London Fields Lido — 10th July, 2008 @ 11:40 pm