In the U.S, they're everywhere, but up here in the Great White North, bloggers who are also staffers at mainstream news organizations are a much rarer sight. I've been trying to keep track of those staffers that blog (just in case we have to form an association, a fire drill, or a Royal Commission at some point) by keeping their links over there on the right hand side under “Mainstream Canadian Journos”.
I'm pleased to discover a few more additions to the roster, effective immediately:
- Carl Wilson, The Globe and Mail. Carl's been the copy editor on a couple of my pieces and they were both a lot better for his help. Most Globe readers, though, will know Carl as the paper's rock music critic. He's got a great ear and a great blog, Zoilus.
- J. Kelly Nestruck, of the National Post, was not at the Post (I think) when I was. But he's got a blog. (Shame he doesn't disclose to his blog readers about his day job. Why wouldn't you? His job — writing about ahts and cultcha stuff is a damn cool one.)
- Aaron Wherry doesn't tell us he works at the Post, either, but that indeed is where most folks find him, writing about music and other things. His column runs Mondays.
- Back in the days when I was a club DJ, I wanted to work at MuchMusic. My pal, the late Dan Gallagher, worked there and I thought I might get a crack at it, too. Dan was a lot funnier and a lot better at the whole VJ thing than I was ever likely to be. So rather than announce the latest Radiohead video, I'm now on TV now talking about the dollar. Anyhow, the Much folks have a community blog just like . . .
- The National Post editorial board does. If you love the Post's editorials, you'll love reading this blog where you get some of the backstory and gossip that goes into the unsigned tomes.
I'm sure there's more out there. If you are a staffer (my definition of a staffer is: You have an e-mail address for which the part after the @ sign is the name of the organization you work for, e.g. I'm dakin @ globeandmail.ca or dakin @ ctv.ca) or know of one, do let me know. If you're not a staffer but have evolved to the higher plane of freelancing or contract writing, let me know, too, cuz I'm trying to keep track of those folks, as well.
like we actually give a flying fidoo whether you work at a mainstream news outlet anymore?
who cares.
Well, you may not: But in the U.S., mainstream news outlets definitely give a flying fidoo about the blogs their employees maintain. The NY Times, for instance, has forbidden its employees to blog.
So far in Canada, no news organization, so far as I know. has restricted or prohibited employees from blogging and at least one organization — the Post — seems to be tacitly encouraging employee blogs. So that's why I think it's important to keep tabs on staffers that blog.
Moreover, I think it's important, in some cases, for bloggers to disclose relationships they have with employers, suppliers, girlfriends, etc. that might colour what they can and cannot post on their blog. When a blog reader knows about these relationships, s/he is in a better position to assess the credibility of what's in the blog.
What has been generated via these so-called establishment Canadian blogs (like the Post's mostly uninspired editorial board one with its atrocious format) that makes them worth anyone's time, including that of the bloggers themselves? Beyond just more navel-gazing and the symbolism you seem to be so protective of? Those guys you mention today are certainly glad for the paycheques that come from big media corps but–at least in the case of Wherry and Zoilus, whereas young Mr. Nestruck recently wrote rather strained opinion piece railing *against* blogs in the papaer–seem genuinely more interested in being a part of something that is anything but whatever this or that Canadian Association represent. Why whittle everything down to the dull and boring disclosure of biases, especially in a media culture infested with nepotism, given how a Leah McLaren or a Jacob Richler (to name but two blatant examples) would never be able to withstand the scrutiny that came with putting themselves out there via a personal site? (Because I'd read both their blogs …)
Marc Weisblott
Actually, I regularly mention that I work at the Post on my blog. I used to link to my articles on the online edition too, but then the site went subscription.
Anyway, my day job certainly is not something that I hide, but since the blog isn't officially sanctioned by the Post, I don't have it listed prominently on the site…
A variation on this I just heard about was a photographer with the Osprey newspaper chain has been forbidden to post photos he shot for work on his online portfolio website.
Greg Locke