In yesterday's Sunday Times reporter Michael Smith recounts the story of his own Deep Throat source at Downing Street.
Every time he released new damning information about the Bush administration's plans for war (or lack thereof) he just knew the American press would be all over the story:
After reporting these secret memos, which revealed the dubious manoeuvrings of government, I expected the US press to react. Surely there would be a storm of anger over the way in which the American public had been deceived into going to war?
He was wrong.
The American media, like every other American enterprise, has been outsourced, in this case to their overseas counterparts in Britain. They ignored the story, or maybe the wireless at the cushy Santa Barbara hotels where they were holed up, feverishly covering the Michael Jackson trial, wasn't working.
Instead, it was the bloggers who jumped on the story, not in October when the first memo came out, but later, as further information trickled out. Hundreds—thousands—of stories have been written, not in the press, but by bloggers who for the most part didn't go to journalism school.
As Smith recalled in the Times:
Then slowly something astonishing happened. People power took over.
The Sunday Times website was inundated with ordinary US citizens wanting to read the minutes of the July meeting. Bloggers set to work passing the word.
It took us a while to figure it out. If we want news—real news—to be reported, we have to do it ourselves.
Welcome to the Little Red Hen-style of journalism.
The first reaction was a timid "Well, I think this is a big story, but the mainstream press is ignoring it...am I missing something?" Then "Well, why ISN'T the mainstream media reporting this?" to finally "Give me my keyboard. I'LL report the biggest story involving deception, misuse of public trust, and malfeasance in office since Watergate."
When they pass out the Pulitzers next year, I hope Shakespeare's Sister (who organized the 500+ Big Brass Alliance) and the folks at AfterDowningStreet.org are on hand to accept their prizes.
I can't wait to see the members of the media—the "newsroom" staff from the NY Times, the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, and all the rest—stand up to applaud the bloggers who take home the awards for Outstanding Journalism.
Of course, they probably won't be there. Any number of breaking news entertainment stories—white girls gone missing, hurricanes ravaging I-10 signage, Joe Celebrity's court proceedings—may require their presence.
That's okay—more noshes for us! We'll enjoy the food, settle in to our role as the new news media, and continue to cover the news of the day.
When the halls of the Fourth Estate are vacant, don't be surprised when the chickens come to roost.
