Comments on: Robert Fisk: “To hell with the web, it’s got no responsibility” http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/ A conversation. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:45:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nervous About Link Journalism? Ignore Web’s ‘Cesspool’ And Tap Its ‘Natural Spring’ | GetAnswers.ws http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6904 Nervous About Link Journalism? Ignore Web’s ‘Cesspool’ And Tap Its ‘Natural Spring’ | GetAnswers.ws Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:24:15 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6904 [...] Fisk was blunter in a recent lecture: “To hell with the web, it’s got no [...] [...] Fisk was blunter in a recent lecture: “To hell with the web, it’s got no [...]

]]> By: Nervous About Link Journalism? Ignore Web’s ‘Cesspool’ And Tap Its ‘Natural Spring’ | Global News Tonight http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6903 Nervous About Link Journalism? Ignore Web’s ‘Cesspool’ And Tap Its ‘Natural Spring’ | Global News Tonight Sat, 23 May 2009 18:49:49 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6903 [...] Fisk was blunter in a recent lecture: “To hell with the web, it’s got no [...] [...] Fisk was blunter in a recent lecture: “To hell with the web, it’s got no [...]

]]> By: Nils Geylen http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6902 Nils Geylen Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:33:04 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6902 I wish people like him would actually help make the web better. Indeed, there actually is a lack of classic writing skills online (from spelling to fact checking) and we could do with leading opinion makers like him shaping the web instead of bashing it. Whatever Fisk thinks, the web's not going to stop and go ooh because of him. And when he and the likes are gone, who's going to that? I wish people like him would actually help make the web better. Indeed, there actually is a lack of classic writing skills online (from spelling to fact checking) and we could do with leading opinion makers like him shaping the web instead of bashing it. Whatever Fisk thinks, the web’s not going to stop and go ooh because of him. And when he and the likes are gone, who’s going to that?

]]> By: Jim Tucker http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6901 Jim Tucker Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:26:33 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6901 Fisk is typical of a generation of journalists and editors who still regard the web as an inconvenient intrusion on the formerly cosy world of newspapers, TV and radio they dominated and controlled for a long time. Late last year, the editor of a major metropolitan newspaper in NZ turned up at the annual journalism educators' conference to talk, among other things, about the way his paper was embracing new media. It was noted with some amusement that he was unable directly to demonstrate his organisation's new ways and brought along one of his young staff (who looked all of 20) to work the demo. Also to our amusement, the thing the editor seemed most taken by was a video of him and his son out fishing on the harbour that had been used on the paper's website. One of the same paper's right wing columnists ranted against the blogosphere for more than a year, then suddenly started his own. The problem is, he writes his blogs as if they were columns. In May this year, I was at a conference in Bali and heard one of Australia's best-known journalists, Greg Sheridan from The Australian, rabbiting on about how the web hadn't really changed anything. My report at the time read: "...Sheridan... - perhaps with a bulging cheek - said technology had changed the basics of our profession 'almost not at all'. "'I'm not a tech dinosaur,' he said (although he claimed later his employer began a blog of his writing without him knowing). 'But what we do has not changed - we verify facts, tell the truth, and get as much of the truth as we can into the paper or the broadcast.' "The internet had value as a neutral tool, like the telephone, and it 'influences the way we do our job - but not the job that we do.' "He said there was no substitute for being there. No currency should be given to the idea that journalists could do the job without leaving the office. In reporting global issues, the tyranny of facts was more important than ever. "What he termed 'pattern-style' explanations were too easy, and the web had exaggerated the effects of pattern-style explanations. Very good journalism discerned patterns, but these had to emerge from facts that had been verified." Fisk is typical of a generation of journalists and editors who still regard the web as an inconvenient intrusion on the formerly cosy world of newspapers, TV and radio they dominated and controlled for a long time.
Late last year, the editor of a major metropolitan newspaper in NZ turned up at the annual journalism educators’ conference to talk, among other things, about the way his paper was embracing new media.
It was noted with some amusement that he was unable directly to demonstrate his organisation’s new ways and brought along one of his young staff (who looked all of 20) to work the demo.
Also to our amusement, the thing the editor seemed most taken by was a video of him and his son out fishing on the harbour that had been used on the paper’s website.
One of the same paper’s right wing columnists ranted against the blogosphere for more than a year, then suddenly started his own. The problem is, he writes his blogs as if they were columns.
In May this year, I was at a conference in Bali and heard one of Australia’s best-known journalists, Greg Sheridan from The Australian, rabbiting on about how the web hadn’t really changed anything.
My report at the time read:
“…Sheridan… – perhaps with a bulging cheek – said technology had changed the basics of our profession ‘almost not at all’.
“‘I’m not a tech dinosaur,’ he said (although he claimed later his employer began a blog of his writing without him knowing). ‘But what we do has not changed – we verify facts, tell the truth, and get as much of the truth as we can into the paper or the broadcast.’
“The internet had value as a neutral tool, like the telephone, and it ‘influences the way we do our job – but not the job that we do.’
“He said there was no substitute for being there. No currency should be given to the idea that journalists could do the job without leaving the office. In reporting global issues, the tyranny of facts was more important than ever.
“What he termed ‘pattern-style’ explanations were too easy, and the web had exaggerated the effects of pattern-style explanations. Very good journalism discerned patterns, but these had to emerge from facts that had been verified.”

]]> By: Mark Nagurski http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6900 Mark Nagurski Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:36:46 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6900 The real issue is not so much with the tools of blogging and the Internet in general but rather in knowing what is and what isn't a reliable source. People want trusted resources, so the question becomes how to we identify reliable Site A from unreliable Site B? I think this is where both traditional media (as editors) and many journalists are missing a trick. By embracing the web for the opportunities it presents Fisk et al could become the trusted resources online as well as off. Surely it's better to lead the charge for responsible and accurate online journalism rather than complain from the sidelines. The real issue is not so much with the tools of blogging and the Internet in general but rather in knowing what is and what isn’t a reliable source. People want trusted resources, so the question becomes how to we identify reliable Site A from unreliable Site B?

I think this is where both traditional media (as editors) and many journalists are missing a trick. By embracing the web for the opportunities it presents Fisk et al could become the trusted resources online as well as off.

Surely it’s better to lead the charge for responsible and accurate online journalism rather than complain from the sidelines.

]]> By: paulbradshaw http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6899 paulbradshaw Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:00:04 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6899 Perhaps the point is that if Fisk was blogging he could a) respond to what was being said and b) people could link to the quote in full - or show up writers who misquote him. Is he really just talking about being misquoted rather than the internet per se? Perhaps the point is that if Fisk was blogging he could a) respond to what was being said and b) people could link to the quote in full – or show up writers who misquote him. Is he really just talking about being misquoted rather than the internet per se?

]]> By: Larry Meegan http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/09/22/robert-fisk-%e2%80%9cto-hell-with-the-web-it%e2%80%99s-got-no-responsibility%e2%80%9d/#comment-6898 Larry Meegan Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:05:45 +0000 http://onlinejournalismblog.com/?p=1510#comment-6898 Dave, surely you jest. You say blogs ought to make writers like Fisk weak in the knees because they can chop up what he says and misquote him? (Employing the ellipsis is similar to what McCain's group did when they misrepresented Obama's statement about the smaller nations occupying so much of our time and energy.) That an editor can chop up a photograph to advance his own agenda and not tell the real story? That is nothing more than making a lie out of a truth. Basic Journalism 101 stuff, Dave, otherwise it's editorializing. Please, Dave, when you're telling a joke be sure to put one of those smiley faces around the article. Dave, surely you jest. You say blogs ought to make writers like Fisk weak in the knees because they can chop up what he says and misquote him? (Employing the ellipsis is similar to what McCain’s group did when they misrepresented Obama’s statement about the smaller nations occupying so much of our time and energy.) That an editor can chop up a photograph to advance his own agenda and not tell the real story? That is nothing more than making a lie out of a truth. Basic Journalism 101 stuff, Dave, otherwise it’s editorializing. Please, Dave, when you’re telling a joke be sure to put one of those smiley faces around the article.

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