Under stress, I...

Cut back on newspapers and rely on blogs.  Yep.  With my new reading schedule, I find I have a lot less time for a lot of things (blogging being one), but that, conversely, I'm getting more things done, even things I was in the habit of putting off.  No time to put them off, now.

But, one interesting thing I've noticed is that I've cut back on reading newspapers.  I didn't read bunches of them anyway, but most days I scanned or read front page stories, editorials, scanned the letters and read those on topics that interest me, read a couple of coluns, read Metro section articles, and maybe a sports story or two in the Tennessean.  Then, I'd find time at work to read several articles in the Wall Street Journal.  Now, I find I'm relying on a few blogs to keep me abreast of what's happening and what folks are saying about it. 

Why blogs instead of newspapers?  Bias and spin and poor reporting.  How many newspapers would I have to read to find out what's going right in Iraq, expert analysis of military issues, etc.?  I can get all of that and more from scanning a few blogs.  And, what the news media does report is often the spin of some "player" in the news -- what good is that?  And, they just don't report well.  Often, the journalists don't seem to realize there is anything more than "talking heads" -- much less that they should go out and report the other stuff.  And don't get me started on how bad most "education" reporting is.  So, blogs.  Of course, I have to just scan and move and don't have time for the leisurely wandering from link to link as I am amazed by the knowledge, insight, and writing so many blogs make available.

And, now, time for my walk and then some reading!!

Comments

[EdWonk]

I rely less on traditional newspapers and more on electronic MSM sources such as CNN, FOX News, NPR and e-versions of newspapers. We still take the local newspaper, as here in Timbuk 3, California, there is no alternative.

[aschoolyardblogger]

I have found great news at http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/lgf-news.php

[Gordon]

Alwyays gets me a little worried when I hear about someone swearing off newspapers.

You says it's because of "bias and spin and poor reporting." Let's consider those one by one.

Reporting: The thing you need to remember is that most blogs simply don't report. Period. For the most part, they link to stories reports by the press and then comment on them. That's not reporting; that's sitting at your computer and typing opinions. Do some bloggers write about what they're experiencing at work or in the war? Sure, but that's not reporting. That's writing a journal. Reporting is the process of going out and gathering information, and then double-checking that information before it appears in print or on TV. Major newspapers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have entire research departments devoted to this task. Does the press sometimes get it wrong? Yes. But there's a process in place for trying to get it right the first time--and it works the vast majority of the time.

Bias: Newspaper bias should be kept to the op-ed pages. That's the way it usually works. Blogs, on the other hand, are generally built around a specific bias or point of view. When they comment on events, they do so in a way that supports their point of view.

Spin: This is something publicists do, not media outlets. They spin stories and events in favorable way, and it's up to the press to cut through the BS. With the Bush administration it's been hard to do that.

Blogs are entertaining, but they are not a subsitute for reported news.