Article: Threatening The Media

[John Bonnes]

It's not the same accountability, to be sure. But to say there is no accountability is silly. It's definitely more long-term - occasional mistakes are tolerated whereas they might be smacked down by a corporate overseer. But I would submit that longer leash has been earned because the indy writer built it. The same thing happens for a radio host or corporate writer, too. If they greatly increase their following, their audience (and boss) are a lot more forgiving of missteps.

 

I'd also suggest that if the only audience that follows a writer are the crazies, it doesn't matter if the audience is big - that viewpoint is still going to be viewed as suspect by the mainstream. It might annoying, but it isn't threatening.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

Wow, I regret missing this (sort of).

As a blogger, the best test for accountability and the quality of the product is when I put out a post and no one reads it.

That's pretty good incentive to step it up next time. Just because there's no boss overseeing the work product, I think most bloggers try to do a solid job, if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment.

John, I read the City Pages article. Thanks for holding your own there!

[twinswon1991]

I think you crushed PMAC on twitter last nite. The "journalists" are so biased towards the club to make sure they can stay on the "inside". They are afraid to criticize if it means they potentially lose their job.

 

Bottom line: the journalists are concerned that bloggers are doing their jobs BETTER! I appreciate the honest assessments we get on this site and other blogs where the Twins aren't just always applauded when at times they should be booooed.

 

Keep up the good work.

[JB_Iowa]

Best laugh I had all day is this quote from the article cited by admin at 4:26: 'Mackey, for what it's worth, said in an e-mail this morning that "if I could go back in time, I would have presented my points with a less condescending tone." '

 

He is almost always condescending. It is why I stopped following him on twitter months ago. The irony, for me, is that I generally think his reporting is more insightful than that of the Strib writers and various columnists.

 

But he is a snotty twerp. So while I read what he writes on 1500ESPN, I unfollowed him a long time ago.

[Shane Wahl]

Honestly, this kind of thing is why I don't like Twitter. I could get drunk as a skunk and start saying stuff and then . . .

[Thrylos]

I finally got to get to read pretty much the whole thing and I think that I have somewhat crystallized an opinion about this whole thing...

 

- I think that it is unfortunate that this started by Phil because a. I think that he is a nice guy (unlike his co-workers on ESPN - Doogie aside) and b. he was a blogger once (and kinda still is, only now he spoon feeds the same canned club-provided information fed by the others with "Access")

- "Access" is over-rated. "Access" is as good as what you access is worth. The truth is that the Twins' organization is not one of those that is very open with what is going on, even to people with "Access". On the other hand, the last 3-4 years, information about Twins' transactions, including the Sano and Willingham signings, a few trades and other discussions with other clubs has broken not by the ones with the Press Cards and "Access", but by alternative sources with access to people who are willing to talk or willing to give them a call or a text if they hear of something happening. And I know that this does not sit well with the mainstream media

- That said, being a reporter is like being muzzled when you hear something that you are not supposed to hear. You are just not suppose to print it. Otherwise "Access" would be lost. I feel their pain. Case in point. This morning at Fort Myers before the Twins game. The bench players were taking batting practice. On one of the far dugout cages, Gardenhire and Tom Kelly had a very animated conversation that got pretty loud about certain players. I heard it. It will probably affect cuts. Will I say what they said? No. But I will speak between words. Someone with a reporter's card and "Access" would not even hear that because as soon as he/she showed up there, the conversation would had turned the other way...

 

Lesson? Nothing really... just live and let live.

[Grady Kruse]

I like Mackey and think he does a helluva job. But, I also like Twins Daily and the bloggers. Everyone does a great job whether they have Access or not so who gives a ****. Let's all be buddies again.

[shawntheroad]

Just imagine if there were no bloggers. We'd have four outlets mostly reporting the same thing with their access. We'd also be stuck with Souhan and a couple other commentators rehashing tired jokes (less jokes if there were no bloggers in the first place). With more bloggers than i have time to read, i peruse as many stories as i can, I check out a few of the paid writers takes , I use sites like fangraphs, milb.com and many other to formulate some opinions without reading anyone and most importantly, I never need to bother with Souhan. Imagine Twins fan reading without Gleeman, Geek, Seth, Nick, Parker, Thrylos, Topper, kbro and many others with opinions, analysis and fun stuff. I enjoy Lavelle and Mackey usually has good stuff, but they are more replaceable than the best bloggers.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

Just imagine if there were no bloggers. We'd have four outlets mostly reporting the same thing with their access. We'd also be stuck with Souhan and a couple other commentators rehashing tired jokes (less jokes if there were no bloggers in the first place). With more bloggers than i have time to read, i peruse as many stories as i can, I check out a few of the paid writers takes , I use sites like fangraphs, milb.com and many other to formulate some opinions without reading anyone and most importantly, I never need to bother with Souhan. Imagine Twins fan reading without Gleeman, Geek, Seth, Nick, Parker, Thrylos, Topper, kbro and many others with opinions, analysis and fun stuff. I enjoy Lavelle and Mackey usually has good stuff, but they are more replaceable than the best bloggers.

I think you're onto something with that last sentence -- just like we have Wins Above Replacement, and Replacement Level players in baseball (Drew Butera), do we have a replacement level Twins reporter in MN, one that could be replaced by one of the bloggers?

[Klochner]

The irony for me is that as a person following the Twins from a thousand miles away, I know who guys like John Bonnes, Seth Stohs and Aaron Gleeman are. I have no idea who Phil Mackey is.

You should learn who Phil Mackey is. He's really good at what he does and despite what prompted this post might indicate isn't a a close-minded cheap shot artist like Souhan. The best mix of inside information and advanced stats that you'll find as a Twins fan.

[Steve Lein]

To be honest, when Mackey started on 1500 ESPN, I liked his work and the new voice. He used Sabermetrics and sounded like a blogger (he was one before, still is to some extent). But it very quickly went to his head, and working with Reusse has further sent him down the path of the darkside. Striving to be a "heel" is one thing, but this isn't "professional" wrestling. If you're a heel here, you're actually a heel in real life, which is another way of saying you're a [redacted]. I can't listen to him anymore on the radio, but I'll still read his work for about the only reason that he gets quotes from players, etc... and can form a readable post. But he's got to realize that's not the same thing that's done by bloggers, who largely analyze and offer opinion, and can speak freely for a fanbase that feels the same way a good majority of the time. He's just a mouthpiece to me, really. It's also very rare he acknowledges a good counter-point to his own views, instead resulting to name calling, or telling you to get out of your mother's basement. Newsflash Mackey: there are many, many, many more successful "bloggers" who are also very successful in their professional lives, than there are not. Four of them run this site, several others contribute here and elsewhere. The platform is as big as it is because of the content that is produced. Quality content. It's very easy to recognize crap, and that doesn't get read. If the readership is shifting to the form of blogs instead of mainstream media outlets, I think that tells a lot more about what the audience wants to see/read instead of the accountability associated with the source. They want opinions. They want their team called out if they're struggling. They want someone to say what they're all thinking. And that's not guys like Mackey. Be who you are, recognize the differences between platforms, acknowledge the good things each one provides, and coexist.

[LimestoneBaggy]

I've given this quite a bit more thought than I intended when I originally read the piece. I consider myself a gatherer of information. Thus, I read as much of the mainstream stuff as I prefer, and a large chuck of the blogging. To me, the imporant "access" is the connection point between bloggers and the audience. We feel as if we are "one of you", and can readily comment to or against the bloggers thoughts (this, by far, is the principle greatness of this website; the bloggers actively read and comment on others). I most often come to the blogs to share in my love for the sport and "our" team. I want to hear others similarly situated discussing things I find interesting. Access to the players is a great thing the mainstream has, and I will not speak against it, but access to a community of like-minded individuals is where I can hang my hat. In essense, in Twins Daily, I am home, with friends, colleagues, and for the most part, a community of people who don't call the last comment/commenter a ....

 

There thought expressed, now back to why I can't beleive no one else thinks Benson looks way too much like James Van Der Beek.

[Seth Stohs]

a community of like-minded individuals is where I can hang my hat. In essense, in Twins Daily, I am home, with friends, colleagues, and for the most part, a community of people who don't call the last comment/commenter a ....

I want to burst out into the theme song for Cheers!! But thank you so much for the kind words. What you wrote above is exactly what we described when we set about on the trek to building this site. That's exactly what we wanted, a Twins community where we can talk about our favorite team. May not always agree, but can do so in a respectful manner. Thank you for verifying that we just may have done that!