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Elevating the debate

10 comments on Elevating the debate

Elevating the debate

: Catching up with Virginia Postrel’s on-target response to Glenn Reynolds’ post — she calls it “a bit defensive” — about whether blogs elevate the political debate… or not.

It’s true that many bloggers, including Glenn, do a lot of media criticism. Media criticism is relatively easy, and Web links are ideally suited to it. But it’s hardly true that “the political blogosphere isto a large degree about media criticism.” Many of the best policy blogs have almost no media criticism, nor do they go looking for political scalps. They don’t even constantly write about the superiority of blogs. That’s why you almost never read about them. Reporters and media critics are bored, bored, bored by the very sort of discourse they claim to support (a lesson I learned the hard way in 10 long years as the editor of Reason). They, and presumably their readers, want conflict, scandal, name-calling, and some sex and religion to heighten the combustible mix. Plus journalists, like other people, love to read about themselves and people they know.

Hence, newspapers don’t writes stories about how blogs like Volokh Conspiracy elevate the debate over legal issues or how blogs like Marginal Revolution improve the public’s understanding of economic scholarship. You won’t read any articles about comparing the military policy discussions on Intel Dump and Belmont Club. Education blogs, science blogs, and foreign-policy blogs all engage in excellent issue discussions, but you’ll never, ever hear them held up as examples of the blogosphere at work. Even Glenn forgets they exist.

And more….

lwv.jpg: I may be accused of being a member of the League of Women Voters (do you like my new hairdo?) but I’ll carry that card proudly. The Issues2004 posts demonstrate that given half a chance, you all will read and comment on and blog and link to posts about issues just as you do to the sexier topics of mud-slinging. If I didn’t have faith in that — in the citizens — then I wouldn’t be a believer in democracy. But I am.

I’m no expert on any of the issues I have posted on or will post on. And so I again encourage you to post links to the kinds of blogs Virginia writes about. The experts are among us. I want to learn from them.

That’s what I call elevating.

10 responses to “Elevating the debate”

  1. hey Avatar
    hey

    you may want to reflect her most recent post on elevating the debate..
    not quite as antagonistic to glenn…
    something to do with a story that the mainstream media has ignored…
    where is the MSM on Darfur, anyway? or is it just an issue of Wogs that don’t matter?

  2. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    Thank you, I have posted several times about Darfur and even commented on the fact that no one was interested. Atrocities are playing themselves out on the ‘dark continent’ but they are not on the front pages.
    We have a nation that is entering into war where oil is concerned, but mere human life and tragedy is offstage. Our economy is falling apart, debt is prevalent, good salaried jobs are being sent abroad, the new jobs are at salaries beneath service industry salaries.
    We are told it is important to ‘stay the course’. Whose interests are we espousing?
    My complexion isn’t light. I am used to this.

  3. C Bennett Avatar
    C Bennett

    One of the great things about the community of blogs is that there are “neighborhoods” and readers find areas they like visiting — they get to know the people, their interests, a bit of their past, they enjoy the same topics. Certainly I visit other areas, too, but when media seems to be hot, we all know the blogs to check; when there are major economic issues, we know where to go. “Blogosphere” has always seemed to impersonal a label to me — it feels different, like a town that you get to know and all the comforts — and irritations — that go with that.
    It is the bias in interests and the resulting emphases on a subset of blogs that make for the “neighborhood” features of the community. I think there are some benefits in the limited references of blogwriters.
    So Glenn has a set of references he checks and by checking his site I get a feel for what’s happening with his network; the same at this site (a different network but some overlap) — it wouldn’t really be an “elevation” to me if every blog feels it needs to remind readers it is aware of the full range of blogs available. New references pop up now and then through extended links and the result is sometimes the discovery of a whole new area of town.
    It’s one of the things that makes taking tours of blogtown (blogburg?, bloggington?)so enjoyable — it has variety and personality, quaint neighborhoods, some crazies that live on the edge of town, some pompous families that are always talking about the same thing, some street people — and all of them have their own set of friends and references.
    What a great place to live, really. I wish it for Iran, Iraq — I wish it for Europe, even.

  4. Andrea Harris Avatar
    Andrea Harris

    “My complexion isn’t light. I am used to this.”
    What does your “complexion” matter on the internet, Ruth?

  5. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    The reference is to experience, Andrea. To readers, no, my ‘complexion’, which reveals my ethnicity, doesn’t matter. But to relate my experience being at the receiving end of discriminatory practices, it was referenced to explain why I am sensitive to being told things are right, when they are not right for my interests or for the general interest. If that doesn’t seem valid to you, then I regret referencing my ‘complexion’.

  6. Brett Avatar
    Brett

    Ruth,
    If you’re very concerned about Darfur (as many “light complexioned” bloggers are), then you must be completely incensed at the inaction of the United Nations on these horrific events in Africa. I think it’s terrific that our president puts little trust in the yahoos at the UN. They’re simply incapable of saving anything except their own jobs.
    You must also be mad at the media for the lack of reporting on this issue. (Personally, I read about this issue most often at the “light complexioned” – and frankly somewhat conservative – bloggers’ sites.)
    Outraged right along with you!

  7. zipity Avatar
    zipity

    I think Virginia is on to something here. I think the vitrolic for and against you see on blogs is the MSM version of “if it bleeds, it leads”. The human condition seems to have a predispositon toward conflict and tragedy (COPS or Max X anyone?). That’s why you see lots of headlines about the latest genocidal episode in Africa, but the thoughtful analysis and debate over what to do and how to do it is a voice in the wilderness…

  8. Andrea Harris Avatar
    Andrea Harris

    Well, Ruth, “revealing” as I suppose you meant to do your “ethnicity” certainly is a very clever way of turning any discussion on anything into one all about poor little you. See, Ruth, no one here knew — and I really doubt any one here cared — what you looked like. Now we know — and at least for my part I can still say that I don’t care. I might if your responses to things discussed here gave evidence that your “experience” has given you deeper insight and understanding into any situation than anyone else here, but so far I haven’t seen that.
    By the way — I make no claims to having any special insight or understanding of the world based on my “experience” or my skin color or the way I comb my hair or anything else. I’m just someone with an opinion and a connection to the internet.

  9. Robert Brown Avatar
    Robert Brown

    Ruth,
    I do believe oil is one of the main reasons the UN cannot come to an agreement over Darfur.

  10. Andrew | BB Avatar
    Andrew | BB

    There’s only so muhc roo on a front page. What’s happening in the Sudan should be more front and center.
    But how many bloggers blog about the Sudan and not just about the lack of coverage of the Sudan? Just checking there. See, media outlets don’t know a lot about the Sudan either. There are a very few of both.
    How much time does the President or Kerry send talking about the Sudan? Not much. We’ve got bigger fish to fry in the Middle Eastern desert. Our people are dying. Americans do not feel safer.
    What can we do in the Sudan? Throw money? That AIDS money to Africa hasn’t even made it there, yet.
    Don’t bitch about the media until you understand what you’re bitching about. Virginia and Instapundit, I’d hazard, know very little.