The Free Marketplace of Ideas
Media critic Jeff Jarvis writes:
I’m about to cut off comments on posts having to do with the Middle East. A few people come in and take it over repeating the same angry arguments over and over until it escalates into scuds v. cruises. I don’t even both reading them. I suspect you don’t, either. I love interactivity. But who could love this?
Sometimes important issues provoke intense debate. Sometimes points need to be pressed until answered. BuzzMacine is Jarvis's blog, and he is entitled to edit/censor it however he wants, but I'm surprised to see a journalist admit that he censors what he doesn't read.
BuzzMachine Jeff Jarvis censorship
I’m about to cut off comments on posts having to do with the Middle East. A few people come in and take it over repeating the same angry arguments over and over until it escalates into scuds v. cruises. I don’t even both reading them. I suspect you don’t, either. I love interactivity. But who could love this?
Sometimes important issues provoke intense debate. Sometimes points need to be pressed until answered. BuzzMacine is Jarvis's blog, and he is entitled to edit/censor it however he wants, but I'm surprised to see a journalist admit that he censors what he doesn't read.
BuzzMachine Jeff Jarvis censorship
posted by Tom at 8:30 pm
3 Comments:
Jeff explains: i read enough. one can tell how this movie ends.
He must not be much of a media critic.
I confess that Jeff Jarvis is not a regular "read" of mine; maybe he should have been.
When I got into blogging, my mentor explained to me that a blog was like a call-in radio show. The host gives his thoughts and opinions and accepts the calls from the listeners for debate an discussion.
The blogger is free to "cut-off" the listener at anytime, but to do so, may also drive the listener away. It's the blogger's discretion.
If Jarvis truly wants interactivity with his readers, though, he can not pick and choose the topics he wants feedback on. He would do better to close all comments to all topics, and hope he is just preaching to the choir of those that agree with him.
However, if Jarvis feels that his topics warrant too much discussion, he could "cap"the comments at a certain number.
Jarvis is media-savvy enough to know that his "listeners" could simply find another "call-in" show to tuned to.
And maybe they will.
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