Entries Tagged 'blog' ↓

Like Mayor Huether, Gargoyle Leader Publisher Randell Beck just can’t stop beating a dead horse about the blogs on the internets (yes Randell I can read between the lines, too bad Dan Scott and Bill Janklow cannot). In his column this week he tells us why newspapers should be able to endorse politicians (instead of actually keeping an eye on them) And in an effort to drive his point home he had to take a swipe at the blogs, again;

The need for credible and meaningful information about government and our public officials, especially on the local front, is greater than it’s ever been. To prove the point, I suggest you list the sources of impartial news you used to learn about candidates in the recent city elections or this week’s state primary – and campaign commercials and ads don’t count.

See what I mean?

Oh, I know what a few of you are thinking – and a guy I respect a lot agrees with you.

Blogs are not impartial newsmakers, and we know it and unlike yourself, most of us make little to nothing to be public advocates. Just list the blogs in this state, and none of them claim or even act like they are impartial – that’s why we blog, we have our causes! Even the one about gardening has a liberal slant. It is your job as a ‘real’ news organization to be impartial, it is that whole ‘fourth estate’ thingy, and when you endorse a candidate (like blogs do) you are no different then we are, not impartial. I could go on a rant about being a for-profit newspaper makes the endorsement process a gigantic conflict of interest or that the 1st Amendment protects free speech (including bloggers) to say anything about a political candidate as long as it is not libelous and is opinion oriented. But I am sure you have heard it all before. Why not just take the advice of your big boss, who I could not agree with more;

“Enlightened newspaper editors and owners have come to understand that when they endorse a political candidate, their news coverage becomes suspect in the eyes of readers, even though most reporters are basically fair and accurate,” Neuharth wrote.

He is right – and it could not be any clearer with the Gargoyle Leader. I have often complained to the few reporters I can trust at your newspaper that the editorial board has a clear agenda for this city and state and it is no where inline with what the real citizens want or even need. You often endorse candidates who match your agenda, and that is unfortunate. Like I mentioned above, the job of a local newspaper is to inform and be the watchful eye of government (The fourth estate) not to agree or disagree with a certain politician or political agenda. Too often you let your ‘personal’ beliefs spill over on the pages of your newspaper and they really show in your endorsements.

I hate to break it to you Randell, but blogs are not going away, so you better just get used to them and go back to what you are good at, being impartial, let us present the endorsements.

All Kittens – All of the time?

Some of my South DaCola foot soldiers have told me I must be nicer as I emerge out of this break. I agree. As an independent I should really try to show both sides of the story. What does that mean? Well first off I will give equal dissent to both political sides. As a new mayor and council gets sworn in and as the June primaries quickly sneak up on us, I have come to the realization that I really don’t have a dog in the fight anymore. The guy I wanted as mayor, did not win, the four councilors that got elected I have no clue about and the Republicants that are running for US Congress don’t really turn my crank (though Noem does look pretty good in a pair of jeans and rodeo belt buckle). It’s time to start looking at all of these people equally, and giving them the benefit of the doubt.

What has happened to our political system in this country? Who f’ing knows. But I do know this, elections have turned into picking the lesser of the two evils, and that is really, really sad. The Sioux Falls mayoral election was proof of that. So I guess my job as a citizen advocate is to tell you who is less evil.

Don’t worry, there will still be some biting commentary and editorial toons. And I will still allow cussing and scantidally clad girls grace the pages of DaCola.

First Amendment rights and anti-censorship has always been the hallmark of this website and while this gets under the skin of politicians to that I say, Truth is the dagger that cuts egotistical politicians down to size. You are here to serve us, and if that hurts to much, please resign because we are the ones that feel the pain when you make bad decisions.

We have a constitutional right to call you out on your bullshit. Freedom is FREE, speak out.

Doug Stanhope says GFY bloggers!

I couldn’t have said it better myself;

Even without the fact that it’s not possible to gather the required information, the benign nature of the majority of local blogs renders this bill unnecessary. Blog-owners routinely remove offensive comments; too many don’t allow comments at all. Even those that have an “anything goes” mantra have little to worry, as Dakota Today owner Douglas Wiken points out. “The best weapon against anonymous, fallacious comments is criticism of those anonymous posts and providing truth as an antidote, (along with) a healthy skepticism with regard to the validity of information in posts by those unwilling to include their actual names.”

This is a great new South Dakota Blog, Reimagine Rural

Parist0crats

I have noticed my ‘computer user’ numbers have been rising fast over the past month. I hit a new record on Tuesday, October 20;

15,275 computer users (in one day). (Hits were about 53,000)

About 20% of my referrals are from google images and 20% from RSS feeds.

Keep it coming. As we move into the Sioux Falls city election next Spring it will be important to get information out there that our SF MSM are not covering, tonight’s Nazi rally, uh, I mean, town hall was proof of that.

southdakota123.com

Read it all here;

Scott L. Ehrisman has one high hope for his blog, South DaCola — to not get sued.