“There are journalists and there are bloggers. There are doctors and there are faith healers.” So said Jeff Cox moderating at the first Green Wine Summit yesterday in Santa Rosa, California during one of the breakout sessions. Here’s my disclosure: I’m not a doctor, a faith healer or a journalist. But I am fascinated by the current debate and passion stirred up between the old media, aka traditional journalists and bloggers. Wine bloggers in particular are wrestling with sorting their own guidelines, policy and formula we hope in an effort to uphold integrity in their writing. And while some do work to maintain high journalistic standards in their blogs, many are passionate wineophiles, novice-experts, who offer their posts for whom ever is interested without claims of journalistic superiority nor breach of integrity. They’re just writing stories, opinions, and reviews connecting with people who enjoy a similar interest.
Is there a threat to old media journalists that provokes them to sneer or denigrate bloggers? If you are measuring readership, perhaps so. I’m not sure how you qualify as a “real journalist”. Is it required to have a journalism degree? From which college or university? What if you never used that degree, became a teacher and now you blog? Are you a “real journalist” then? What if you don’t have the degree but have been working for a newspaper or magazine all your life, writing or editing? Are you a “real journalist” then?
Most (wine) bloggers don’t suggest they are journalists. We, their readers, hope and expect that they will aim for accuracy, honesty, integrity and full disclosure. But even “real journalists” have fallen short on more than one occasion. We also hope they will inform or entertain, lead us to great wine or make us laugh. Perhaps their value comes from the variety of material available from the blogs; but also from getting to know that voice, their tone and tendencies, their preferences and passions. The likes of classic, 
extraordinary journalists like Walter Cronkite and Andy Rooney have captured their audiences in no small part by revealing much of themselves in their reporting and writing. Who they are came through along with the information they were sharing. That makes me think even more that blogging is about connecting; connecting with people you share something with that maybe you don’t even know. With so many differences that separate and divide us, I find it a treat to connect with smart, passionate, talented bloggers who offer their experiences in wry or poignant, frank or even silly on-line content in their blog.
There is a great deal more debate to have regarding the sorting, classifying and clarifying of bloggers policies, integrity, qualifications, etc. The massive quantity of content on-line requires that users become better filters. Bloggers will have to take it upon themselves to produce quality content with full disclosure and integrity with whatever voice, interpretation, independence or style they choose.. There is no certification process or Hippocratic oath for bloggers (oh wait, I don’t think there is one for journalists either). Access to the internet has become a great equalizer giving many a voice, and readers, they never had before. And ultimately readership may determine the success of any (wine) blog. But, there are many who would write their blog even if no one were reading them. This may beg the question, “Why?”. Because they can.
Very nicely written.
Top down models beg the question: “Who else are you gong to go get your info from?”
And 10 years ago that would have been a valid question with no valid answer.
Now the answer is: “I can get my info from anyone I want and if it’s not there, I can create it.”
Which, let’s face it, is basically what journalism has done because they have had the resources necessary to do so.
Ben
PS: I just wrote a blog post last night how this sort of change is not happening strictly in the media department but in the health care department as well. Not directly a wine related post but definitely implicates change overall.
Is it arrogance or fear? Or both? Remind me, was it a blogger or a journalist that created Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence”? And was it a blogger or a journalist that exposed the “Award of Excellence” as a purchased farce?
“There are journalists and there are bloggers. There are doctors and there are faith healers, there are moderators and there are idiots like Jeff Cox.”
I hope someone had the decency to heckle that scared little clown.
Nice post, WDG. Cox could take a page out of your book and learn to have a little decency and grace.
Well said.
[...] to the moderator of this breakout session. I wrote about the unfortunate comparison he made here: “There are journalists and bloggers. There are doctors and faith healers.” A sad [...]
I wasn’t at the summit, but if Jeff was putting down bloggers by comparing them to faith healers, he was out of line. WDG makes a good point about there being no clear definition of “journalist.” I’ve called myself a journalist over the years, but I never went to J-school, and the term is really kind of antiquated. I’m a wine writer. Wine bloggers are also wine writers. The biggest diference between traditional wine writers and bloggers is that in blogging, you can be more “yourself” and less inhibited. In trad journalism, you can never use the first-person “I” because you’re supposed to keep yourself out of the story. It’s just the opposite with blogs, which is what I like about writing my own blogs, and reading other peoples’ blogs.
WDG, times have changed and some are choosing not to change with it. They will be left behind and for that I feel sorry for them. Look at the 3 big automakers. They didn’t change with the times or peoples taste, they and likely the rest of will have to pay as well. I know that is extreme, but Steve gets it, he will benefit from it. Jeff on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be getting it.
I’ve been reading your blog and reallylike the angle you have been taking, nice work!
Thank you all for your perspectives. I take for granted that we’re coming to the table (or to the writing) with integrity and disclosure and quality. After that, I think it is about your voice and your contribution to the conversation.
Anyone that is tearing down people or a community is definitely NOT adding value. That’s NOT to say that disagreement, controversy or questions are bad. Certainly not. They force the introspection and positions that hopefully move us forward.
I really appreciate Mr. Heimoff’s comment here: “The biggest diference between traditional wine writers and bloggers is that in blogging, you can be more “yourself” and less inhibited.” That voice is about humans connecting. That is what the power of Web 2.0 is about. More on t hat to come.
[...] They have been called “other” (thanks, 1WineDude) and they have been likened to “Faith Healers” (Jeff Cox). Wine lovers who are moved to blog have also been called influencers (Joel [...]
[...] The power and influence is spread out. Anyone who doesn’t like that will certainly knock it down (and we’ve seen that a lot throughout the past years). Meanwhile, let’s raise a [...]
You made some decent points there. I searched on the web for the problem and found most individuals will go along with with your website.
Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. Thanks for sharing.