01 Oct 2004 I Fisk a Jerk
James Lileks is way too nice to this guy.
“This guy” is journalist (his description, I’m not practicing libel here) Nick Coleman of the Star-Tribune, who believes himself far superior to bloggers and not too modest to say so:
“…here’s what really makes bloggers mad: I know stuff.” (Oh yeah, we feel threatened by a guy whose self-reported credentials are “I covered Minneapolis City Hall, back when Republicans controlled the City Council. I have reported from almost every county in the state, I have covered murders, floods, tornadoes, World Series and six governors.” I swoon with envy the depth and breadth of his education and experience. I can only imagine how envious the bloggers who are MDs must be.)
“Bloggers don’t know about anything that happened before they sat down to share their every thought with the moon.” (Yes, as we sprang from our mothers’ wombs we landed flat in front of keyboards, fingers primed to blog.)
“I have been a reporter longer than most bloggers have been alive, which makes me, at 54…” (Is there a study on the age distribution of bloggers? Cite, please. But as long as we’re talking ages, I, at 44, have been sick of pompous journalists at least as long as he’s been one.)
“So, how is it that nakedly partisan bloggers who make things up left and right are gaining street cred while the mainstream media, which spend a lot of time criticizing themselves, are under attack?” (Hint, Nick: One of you makes $7 million a year for dishonest reporting.)
“…unlike the bloggies… I have an ear trained to detect baloney.” (Tell that to the $7 Million Man, Nick.)
“Most bloggers are not fit to carry a reporter’s notebook.” (True. They deserve better.)
James Lileks must be a real nice guy not to have said what I just did. Or maybe I’m just overtired. I usually ignore jerks.