The results are in.
Nevada newspaper bloggers kick "real" bloggers' tail in covering the Democratic convention. And, sadly, it wasn't even close.
For all the hype and promises of delivering the kind of inside scoop that only a "true" blogger can do, Nevada's representatives to the convention, the Las Vegas Gleaner and Reno & Its Discontents (via the Big Tent), combined for just 26 postings during the four-day affair. Or, to put it in perspective, the same amount as the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Molly Ball managed all the while producing daily copy for the print version. Oh, and it was Ball's first time blogging for the LVRJ too.
How bad was it? For criminy sakes, Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley posted over twice as much on her inaugural blog. Granted, there were a lot of Twitter-like blurbs in her 59 posts, but still she was letting people know what she was seeing and experiencing.
So while it may be fashionable for most bloggers to dismiss the traditional media as hopelessly out of touch and a dinosaur on its final legs, when it counted (and on a big stage), they couldn't even come close to backing it up. Plain and simple, Nevada's new media were schooled by the state's traditional in a big way this week. And worse, for the high and mighty, it was on the bloggers' turf.
Here's a breakdown of convention blog posts:
Anjeanette Damon (41 posts) -- The Reno Gazette Journal's resident political reporter has had a company blog, Inside Nevada Politics, for some time so blogging is second nature to her. And it showed. Damon cranked out 41 blog posts on top of numerous daily stories filed for the ink-and-paper version of the RGJ.
Ball (26 posts) -- Like Damon, doing double-duty as blogger and print reporter. And blogging for the first time to boot.
Erin Neff (26 posts) -- LVRJ political columnist's first venture into blogging and, like Ball, equals the combined efforts of the "real" bloggers. Some funny stuff too.
The Gleaner (14 posts) -- Some longer posts, plus pics, but a surprisingly low total amount of output. Picked up by The Guardian which hopefully resulted in some pounds making their way to his bank account. But for those hoping for nonstop tidbits and updates, kind of a disappointment.
Reno & Its Discontents (12 posts) -- After complaining how readers weren't sending her money so she could represent the progressive women of Nevada, R&D ends up rewarding those who final gave with a pair of posts on how sweaty it was in the Big Tent, an Obama press release, a line about McCain deciding on a VP, C-Span liking Twitter and a couple recappings of a Nation Journal blogging panel she was part of. Oh and getting a massage in the HuffPo Oasis. Except for a video with Jill Derby and how the Big Tent hates Harry Reid, this could have been mailed in from Reno. Granted, she didn't arrive until Tuesday night and has promised other videos, but it looks more like readers were financing a schmooze trip rather than a reporting one. For all the hype and begging, a major bomb.
I guess when ya get paid, ya HAVE TO do your job.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that many of the blog posts were kinda short, and not funny or well written. They outta try writting their blogs on a bar top like me.
Sorry you were disappointed, AG, but you can't say I didn't warn 'ya.
ReplyDeleteWhich underscores exactly why Damon, Ball, and Neff hold down paying journalism jobs and Huge Jackass eeks a poverty level living trying to re-snark and re-report what is already old stuff by the time he gets to it.
But I will take up for Myrna in that this was her first excursion into the major leagues from the sand lot league. And given that the NevaDUH delegation was not exactly the epicenter of the convenshun as could also have been predicted. I mean...jeeezz... what exciting can you find to say about Jillo and Boss Reid to tell the folks back home?
Yeah, but Damon, Ball and Neff's main job description is print stories. To also crank out, probably at management's request, quite a bit of blog posts while dealing with normal deadlines is impressive.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Myrna is she built it up as a duty for her readers to send her to Denver to provide a voice for progressive women throughout Nevada. It was the same spiel she used to get into the Big Tent. But what she posted was mostly drivel. And not a lot to boot.
Granted, Nevada's delegation was just a small part, but as a blogger she had the whole convention and all the surroundings to choose from. What about the protests, the vendors, speech reactions, funny moments, scary ones, etc.? She treated it as a personal party, the traditional media as a news event.
First, I was there for 2 days of coverage 5 of which were spent in Invesco Field with no access. I also stayed at a friends house away from events. This was 1/3 of the time that Damon and Neff were there and 1/2 of the time Jackson was there. Neff and Damon had two days lead time before the convention even started to get set up and begin writing. And don't get me started about the advantages they had equipment and access wise. I suspect they had photographers, phones with WiFi, etc. These are all advantages I did not have.
ReplyDeleteSecond, all that local msm criticism you are talking about--Jerz pretty much does that, not me so much. I take on particular aspects of media coverage in particular times. The Big Tent was there, and I wanted to be there--I was going whether I got help from readers or not. Thankfully, I did because some people are appreciative of my three year body of work they've had access to for free.
Third, I did not have access to the Pepsi Center like the writers you spoke of did. They were all located within walking distance of all events.
Look who's turned into the media critic now? Some people really enjoyed my 1.5 days of drivel--by the way--I'm not even finished posting on it yet.
In your post, which you deleted, you complained (loudly) how nobody was giving you money and how you were going to represent progressives and women. From that rant it was reasonable to assume you were going to be actually doing some reporting and stuff. You really didn't. Yes, as I noted, you were only there from Tuesday night on, but that still doesn't excuse drivel like "it's sweaty in here" and "ooo, I'm getting a massage."
ReplyDeleteWhere was all that hard hitting progressive feminism of the west you promised? It wasn't there, at all. Damon, Neff and Ball all kicked your ass all the while doing their day job.
If you went there to just hang out and have a good time, then that is how you should have presented it. But you didn't. Plus, you have the gall to whine, numerous times, how the local papers ignored consulting with you on political questions. Maybe that's because they know a goof when they read one.
I was kinda disappointed in the stories Tracy posted too. But she has added more. Maybe it is because of this or it was planned all along. I don't know. You are right about the recent big head. I was thinking the same thing when I read those stories. She is a small reno blogger not some one on CNN.
ReplyDeleteShe has posted more, including a lengthy response to this post. She has added about a half-dozen DNC stories with video and pics. So in the end she may make up some in quantity what was missing in timeliness (which technical logistics can play a part in).
ReplyDeleteThe big head thing, though, seems to continue unabated. She won't like your last line either!
In addition to the Guardian I was also writing stuff for CityLife (both the current and upcoming issues). But that's no excuse. And I was drinking heavily. That's not an excuse either. Fun, though. Anyway, sorry I suck! kthxbye
ReplyDeleteWe forgot your non-Gleaner work.
ReplyDeleteThree's a crowd
Change we can believe in?