Thursday, September 21, 2023

BIG negatory on this idea from Nieman Lab

 There, Sophie Culpepper says "ask your readership for story ideas."

Uhh, no.

First, even without some political specifics, out here in South Wingnutistan, that's asking you to report on Facebook community group page rumors and shite like that. And, if you tell them, no we can't do that, the portion of the people who want that will likely accuse you of head-faking them or more.

Second, WITH political specifics. You're going to shoot down their asking you to do local or state level versions of #StartTheSteal (that's what it is)? I say that with a husband-and-wife team from my coverage area being arrested on J6 charges and using a variety of legal attacks for deliberate dilatory reasons on their not-yet trial after backing out of a plea deal. Oh, the husband was also a local GOP precinct chair.

A local version of why masking is fascism? (I had someone buy a half page ad to that effect in my newspaper two years ago.) And, then, when you explain the actual facts on that, you just redouble their belief that you're "part of the media." (Which, yes, I am.)

Yes, she says you have people vote on the allegedly best, actually most popular, ideas. And, how do you stop poll crashers? 

And, Culpepper's bio makes clear why she'd offer such stupidity without big caveats. Brown University grad. Starter of a high-end online-only paper in Lexington, Massachusetts, a high-dollar, very blue, city and county. (The county as a whole isn't quite as Dem as I would have guessed.) And, someone who graduated just two years ago, and probably had family dinero help to be able to start her own newspaper.

Arrogance.

That's the word.

And, not just from Culpepper.

It's also from Nieman Lab, presuming someone this young and with relative lack of experience has "solutions" to offer.

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