Pioneer Press on blogging

Really makes you long for the days
when they posed pretty girls
in mini-skirts next to high tech gear,
doesn't it?


Powerline pretty well sums up the Pioneer Press local section story on blogging.

The Pioneer Press explains blogs, sort of

Reporter Toni Coleman of the St. Paul Pioneer Press knew nothing about blogs when she was assigned to write today's story on local political blogs: "Increasingly popular blogs give voice to 'e' the people." She doesn't cover much ground, convey much sense of the talent out there, or explain what the best blogs have to offer, but her condescension is limited and she's fair to us.

The article also points out the silo mentality that separates the newsroom and the editorial departments of the Pioneer Press.

Before I was offered the opportunity to write my Pioneer Press Opinion Page column, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the editorial board, and the newsroom/editorial board separation is pretty universal. That's not viewed as a problem. It's seen as a positive separation of objective news and opinion journalism. The blogging article shows a weakness of that, frankly, false sense of propriety.

The article is pretty amateurish and lightweight, but that probably accurately reflects newsroom knowledge about blogs. On the other hand, I can vouch from experience that Art Coulson, editor of the Opinion Page has a good working knowledge of the blogosphere, reads selected blogs, reviews the Greensboro News-Record site, and is seriously contemplating the way blogs and newspapers might interact to the benefit of both media audiences. I doubt he was tapped as a deep research source for the article.

(Not to mention that my column lists my blogsite, and perhaps I might have some insight on the subject. But it wouldn't surprise me if there are newsroom editors and reporters who don't read their own paper's Opinion Page, especially that conservative guy.)

So, bottom line, Powerline has it about right. The Pioneer Press gets blogs, sort of.