Deadpoet’s Cave

Today’s Straits Times Digital Life supplement continued the Mainstream Media’s (MSM) inqusition damnation of blogs.

I am tempted to put the punchline right at the start of this post. But tarry.

Read what Grace Chng has to say about blogs in her article titled Blog standard citizen journalism (page 40).

Then have a good laugh what she writes - within one paragraph, mind - in another article within the same issue: Microsoft: 30 and fighting (pages 54 & 55). (all emphases are my additions)

Referring to the blogosphere buzz about the video iPod before its launch :

“So, yes, blogs are a good source of information. They act as the media’s ears. They provide a glimpse into what people are thinking, reading and doing. But they are also subjective and are often filled with inaccuracies. At best, they are well-argued opinions.“

She continues,

“On the other hand, mainstream media have actual links to newsmakers and can verify their information. They also have checks and balances in place to prevent unsubstantiated or incorrect information from being published.“

Notwithstanding the fact that Joe Public may have better connections with certain newsmakers, let’s see what these checks and balances bring us in the Microsoft article:

Referring to Google: “Its e-mail service, Gmail, offers about 2.56GB of space - yet unbeaten.” | Not entirely true, if you consider smaller - but less stable - email providers. Google, and ye shall find.

“There’s also Picassa, easily the best free PC photo-editing software around.” | picasa.google.com But I will give credit where it’s due. Picasa probably is the best basic and free PC photo-editing software. For now.

*sigh*

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Or is Grace and the MSM - in the sixties, this would have been a name of a band - doing that?

At best, blogs contain well-argued opinions, she says.

Sometimes, I can’t say the same for our press.

P.S. (I am still referring to today’s Digital Life.) Racy blogs? Yes, let’s ban those. In fact, let’s ban all blogs. Oh, and books and magazines too, ’cause they can be racy. And movies. And television. And radio. In fact, let’s all just shut our eyes and close our ears. That ought to do it.

Updated: I bookmarked this post a while back: The Singaporean MSM still doesn’t get it. It’s an excellent read from Wannabe Lawyer. He waxes more eloquently about this topic than I have.

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