Out of the media mainstream

As newspapers slowly decline, we newshawks have to hunt for food. If we want both sides, we have to hunt around. And the pickings are plentiful, if not wholly satisfying.

On the left, you’ve got Policy Watch. On the right, there’s the Daily Haymaker. If you want the McCrory line, you go straight to Jones & Blount.

If you want opinion and analysis from both sides, you go to PoliticsNC. Thomas Mills begin that blog as a progressive voice. He brought in John Wynne for balance. (Now that Thomas has lost his mind and become a congressional candidate, will he become a more careful blogger? Or will he let us in on the joys, miseries and absurdities of running for office?)

If you want the half-demented ramblings of two battle-scarred veterans who reminisce about when dinosaurs walked the political earth, you read Carter and me.

And there’s plenty more to choose from across the state.

Each site has its own tone.

Policy Watch is earnest and, yes, policy-obsessed: “North Carolina’s virtual charters off to a rocky start.” “A list to counter the election-year spin on education.” “Beleaguered court officials try to find the bright side in a modest state budget.”

The Haymaker is delightfully vicious and personal: “JoCo leaders reject CSX / State of NC land grab. (Psst – CSX didn’t need govt $$$ or heavy-handedness in OH or PA deals.)” “Burr prefers Bernie over Ted? (That’s what the AP says.)” “Polling, press releases and pabulum. N&O laziness extends from NC-02 over to NC-07.”

Jones & Blount has all the pop and pizzazz of a Chamber of Commerce newsletter: “Governor declares State of Emergency for impending winter weather.” “U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear immigration case that divides McCrory, Cooper.” “MLK Day highlighted across North Carolina.”

With the decline of traditional journalism, this is how it’s going to be, for better or worse. You get your news in whatever political shade you prefer. Or all the colors in the rainbow.

It’s actually an American tradition dating back to the 1790s, when each party had its own national newspaper. Jeffersonians had The National Gazette, published by Philip Freneau. Hamiltonians had The Gazette of the United States, published by John Fenno. (Apparently, both the newspapers and their publishers were required to have similar names.)

Your news. Slanted the way you want it.

 

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Gary Pearce

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Out of the media mainstream

As newspapers slowly decline, we newshawks have to hunt for food. If we want both sides, we have to hunt around. And the pickings are plentiful, if not wholly satisfying.

On the left, you’ve got Policy Watch. On the right, there’s the Daily Haymaker. If you want the McCrory line, you go straight to Jones & Blount.

If you want opinion and analysis from both sides, you go to PoliticsNC. Thomas Mills begin that blog as a progressive voice. He brought in John Wynne for balance. (Now that Thomas has lost his mind and become a congressional candidate, will he become a more careful blogger? Or will he let us in on the joys, miseries and absurdities of running for office?)

If you want the half-demented ramblings of two battle-scarred veterans who reminisce about when dinosaurs walked the political earth, you read Carter and me.

And there’s plenty more to choose from across the state.

Each site has its own tone.

Policy Watch is earnest and, yes, policy-obsessed: “North Carolina’s virtual charters off to a rocky start.” “A list to counter the election-year spin on education.” “Beleaguered court officials try to find the bright side in a modest state budget.”

The Haymaker is delightfully vicious and personal: “JoCo leaders reject CSX / State of NC land grab. (Psst – CSX didn’t need govt $$$ or heavy-handedness in OH or PA deals.)” “Burr prefers Bernie over Ted? (That’s what the AP says.)” “Polling, press releases and pabulum. N&O laziness extends from NC-02 over to NC-07.”

Jones & Blount has all the pop and pizzazz of a Chamber of Commerce newsletter: “Governor declares State of Emergency for impending winter weather.” “U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear immigration case that divides McCrory, Cooper.” “MLK Day highlighted across North Carolina.”

With the decline of traditional journalism, this is how it’s going to be, for better or worse. You get your news in whatever political shade you prefer. Or all the colors in the rainbow.

It’s actually an American tradition dating back to the 1790s, when each party had its own national newspaper. Jeffersonians had The National Gazette, published by Philip Freneau. Hamiltonians had The Gazette of the United States, published by John Fenno. (Apparently, both the newspapers and their publishers were required to have similar names.)

Your news. Slanted the way you want it.

 

Posted in
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Gary Pearce

Categories

Archives