AN ALIENATED JOURNALIST

In the wake of the U.S. elections, Poynter's Roy Peter Clark took a look at himself as a citizen and journalist and came to a sobering conclusion:

My blind spots blot out half of America. And that makes me less of a citizen, and less of a journalist.

Clark lists some of the ways in which he feels he is shortsighted:

• I don't know the difference between evangelical and charismatic, but I can argue about who has sluttier videos, Britney or Christina.
• I know little about the "born again" experience but can celebrate the narrative structure of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
• I've never listened to a religious radio program or attended a church supper, but I can tell you whatever you want to know about Howard Stern and Bubba the Love Sponge.

A number of people I know who are journalists, or have been, had this reaction to Bush's election: How can the Americans be so stupid? That's fine as a personal reaction. Clark points to what may be better questions for journalists to ask themselves: What am I missing here and what can I do about it?
10:27:36 PM  LINK TO THIS POST  

THE MARINE VIEW

U.S. Marines are doing more than shooting and ducking: combat correspondents are covering the war. The Digital Vision Network blog has a brief report and photos from Fallujah by Sgt. Luis R. Agostini. Nice work.
1:51:43 PM  LINK TO THIS POST