Did the Internet bring down Raines?

A lot of bloggers are crediting the Weblog community for helping to keep coverage of The New York Times scandal alive and thus helping to pressure the resignations of its two top editors, Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd.

But as San Jose Mercury News blogger Dan Gillmor writes, the blogging community is taking "way too much credit" for the resignations. Unlike the Trent Lott's comments, which bloggers did help turn into a major issue, in this case mainstream media did cover the story. The biggest contribution was Jim Romenesko Weblog on Poynter.org, where Times staffers complained in letters and through leaked e-mails about the problems at the paper.

"If this had happened 10 years ago, when the Internet didn't exist, Raines would still be running the place," Slate's Mickey Kaus says. " The Times staff would be just as unhappy, but they'd be unable to instantaneously organize and vent their displeasure on Romenesko and elsewhere. It was this suddenly transparent internal opposition, more than the constant pummeling from bloggers, that brought Raines down."

The Los Angeles Times, profiling Jim Romenesko, says "the brouhaha has been to Romenesko what the first Persian Gulf War was to CNN, a defining moment."

Jun 09, 2003 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(0)

Discussion

0 comments about 'Did the Internet bring down Raines?'

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address (will not be published):

Comment on "'Did the Internet bring down Raines?'":


Security code:     Enter code to post:

Site Map