This:
Press? Me?
I am the media. That is humbling, frightening, and powerful all at the same time. I've never claimed to be a writer; heck, I've never wanted to be a writer. My meager talent with the written word is eclipsed by many on my blogroll; I'll be the first to admit that. I've got published authors over there, folks I've had the pleasure of reading over and over (I am also a published author, but unless you feel like reading about the visual transduction pathway in mammals and amphibians, take a pass...)
I am a reporter. That was hammered home when I interviewed Nick Ecker from Charter Arms. It's one thing to dig up a news report, pull a paragraph or two, and comment on it; it's another thing entirely to put pen to paper, asking questions and sifting through information. I'm fairly knowledgeable of the gun laws here in MA; I know a lot of the regulations and such; but actually talking to someone that has gone through the process was an eye-opener. The process by which raw notes and memories get turned into an article is a long and convoluted one, at least from what I've seen and done.
I am a promoter. I promote myself. I promote my blog. I promote my agenda. There's always some angle to take, some bias to apply, some edge to walk. Whether I'm reviewing a new piece of gear, giving my opinion of a recent local or national event, or just posting a cute picture of my kids, whatever it is that I post becomes a permanent part of my blog, and by extension, of me. Ten years from now, when TheBoy goes off to college, it's entirely possible that he might run a Google search and find pictures of his old man holding a bayonet-equipped something and attacking a child's toy.
All I know is that whether I'm acting as reporter, "direct media", or just a plain ol' proud papa, I own the words here lock, stock, and barrel - and that suits me just fine.
That is all.
6 comments:
Don't let your head swell up too much (g).
Everyone should be their own reporter, and gather their own information, and write their own internal articles on everything that matters.
You are just saying you are doing what ought to be done, and so often isn't. That's why you stand out....
'Sokay, we still likes ya. (GGG)
Press? Me? I am the media. That is humbling, frightening, and powerful all at the same time.
As it should be. As long as you remember the "humbling" and "frightening" parts, you'll do just fine.
jay, gotta say - i LOVE your new avatar pic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the great advancements of the internet age is that everyone is the media now, if they want to be. All you need is access - you don't even have to own a computer, you can use the public access computers at the local library. There is no financial "floor" imposed by the need to own even a small hand-operated press like there was even just a little more than a decade ago. We are no longer limited to the opinions and investigations of an elite few.
Of course, we have to deal with the fact that many are simply no good at it, but we had to deal with the same problem with the elites, just to a lesser degree. That's why everyone should learn to think for themselves, anyway
And when TheBoy does a Google search for The New York Times by the results be "file not found."
I agree, it is a drastic change to your look on things after seeing the world as a media person/
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