Breitbart Announces ‘Big Journalism’ Website
[Guest post by DRJ]
Adding to his already large and influential stable of internet websites, Andrew Breitbart announced today the January 2010 debut of Big Journalism:
“Big Journalism will be run by former Time Magazine staffer Michael Walsh, who is also a former journalism professor and film & television professor at Boston University. Walsh and Breitbart met at a casual gathering of like-minded people and hit it off. When Breitbart made the decision to launch a new site covering journalism, he says that Walsh was first person that came to his mind. The fact that Walsh is a media veteran going back to the early 70s didn’t hurt, he said.
Walsh and Breitbart share a similar distaste for the day-to-day work of “institutional journalists.” In an interview, the new editor of Big Journalism boiled down the mission of the site thusly: “Our goal at Big Journalism is to hold the mainstream media’s feet to the fire. There are a lot of stories that they simply don’t cover, either because it doesn’t fit their world view, or because they’re literally innocent of any knowledge that the story even exists, or because they are a dying organization, short-staffed, and thus can’t cover stuff like they did before.”
“Big Journalism will be the go-to site for solidly backed-up stories, sharp points of view, and really great writing,” he said. “We are defenders of the First Amendment and resolute enemies of political correctness. That’s the key to the site’s philosophy.”
In addition, Breitbart plans other reporting and blogging websites including Big Education, Big Tolerance, Big Jerusalem, and Big Peace. He discusses the goals of those websites here. I’m looking forward to Big Education.
— DRJ
Oh, who are the first targets of Big Journalism? Jean O. Pasco? Chris Knap? Dan Rather? Keith Olber… I can’t type his given name and want to put an obscenity in place of the poster boy for Journalistic Malpractice.
PCD (95b66c) — 12/10/2009 @ 7:52 pmHas Brother Brad sent a resumé?
Seems a perfect fit.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 12/10/2009 @ 8:30 pmoh, I definitely want to see BigEd! I spent 3 years of my life homeschooling my daughter while working full-time specifically because of BigEd.
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 12/10/2009 @ 10:27 pmWhat a great piece of news.
The recent FTC conference on journalism was aimed at “reviving journalism.” This of course is code for finding ways to subsidize failing newspapers and other media. Rupert Murdoch, who attended, took exception to government entanglement with the media.
Anything that can be done to expose the utter corruption of the media will hurt the government’s efforts to prop up these shills.
Thank you Mr. Breitbart.
Corky Boyd (e57add) — 12/10/2009 @ 10:32 pm“Our goal at Big Journalism is to hold the mainstream media’s feet to the fire. There are a lot of stories that they simply don’t cover, either because it doesn’t fit their world view, or because they’re literally innocent of any knowledge that the story even exists, or because they are a dying organization, short-staffed, and thus can’t cover stuff like they did before.””
So does this mean they promise more coverage than the mainstream, or that they will be just talking about what the mainstream isn’t doing?
Like fistgate.
imdw (02b2cd) — 12/11/2009 @ 4:59 amWow, looks like someone didn’t get a good breakfast.
I look forward to the website. And Big Education.
Corwin (ea9428) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:15 amBig nature would be a good one too. They could take on disasters and endangered species.
imdw (017d51) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:21 am“Rupert Murdoch, who attended, took exception to government entanglement with the media. ”
He also said people should be paying more for what they read and “Aggregators” shouldn’t do what they do. He’s not yet asking for reform to fair use law — he has said he thinks fair use is different than the law is — but his worldview being implemented would require legal changes.
[note: fished from spam filter. –Stashiu]
imdw (6951c3) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:23 amWow, who wants to bet that they kick off big journalism with another bombshell story. the kick off of big government was brilliant. I mean even if you are a big acorn supporter, you have to concede that.
A.W. (e7d72e) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:30 amWhy, it is like imdw doesn’t like what Breitbart’s people are publishing! Imagine that! He must then much prefer the regular media, because they are so committed to accuracy, fair coverage, and wide topics.
I cannot get over alphabetists. As the polls show that people aren’t buying what the DNC is selling right now, we will see more little fits of pique.
Eric Blair (91356a) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:55 amimd-dummy is just mad because more people will have the true facts to refute his kool-aid fueled drivel.
PCD (1d8b6d) — 12/11/2009 @ 7:18 amI’ve been waiting for a site like this for a long time. Yay!
Bradley J. Fikes, C. O.R. (a18ddc) — 12/11/2009 @ 9:51 amAmid all the seemingly endless reports of job cuts in establishment media, it’s good to see news organizations other than FOX NEWS adding people to the payroll.
Any reasonably bright student now in J School has to know where the employment opportunities are, and where they ain’t.
ropelight (5c6f98) — 12/11/2009 @ 10:01 amWhat? No Big Labor. That’s the one I’m waiting for.
Jerrie Atrick (8ddb9a) — 12/11/2009 @ 10:13 am#12 Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R.:
How long before we can expect to see you writing for them?
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 12/11/2009 @ 10:28 am[…] Malkin: Soros scheming at Copenhagen: Eco-redistribution of wealth Patterico’s Pontifications: Breitbart Announces ‘Big Journalism’ Website Texas For Palin:Kernell’s lawyers: The spyware made him do it Conservatives For Palin: […]
Al Gore: The earth core is 2 million degrees… geothermal energy is new; This guy is a scientific Moron! « VotingFemale Speaks! (73499b) — 12/11/2009 @ 11:04 amI’m waiting for Big Kitchen so he can get to the bottom of Ham Gate.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/21699614/index.html
Vivian Louise (eeeb3a) — 12/11/2009 @ 11:34 amBig business is already taken.
imdw (c3c479) — 12/11/2009 @ 11:41 amInteresting that Mr Breitbart is launching this, and you have noted it just above the story about Editor & Publisher going out of business. Why is it that Mr B thinks he can turn a profit doing this, and E&P obviously failed at it?
The Dana who notices tese things (3e4784) — 12/11/2009 @ 1:23 pmDana, do you have a guess (well… does anyone) as to how much it costs to run a website?
How much does it cost to keep Patterico.com running? Before ad revenue. Even adding in some salaries, is this really an expensive undertaking?
Dustin (44f8cb) — 12/11/2009 @ 1:27 pmHow long before we can expect to see you writing for them
If Breitbart is willing, I’d be very interested.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (19ad12) — 12/11/2009 @ 2:40 pmAnd, of course, if my editors are willing. I still want to keep my day job!
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (19ad12) — 12/11/2009 @ 2:47 pmI thought Bro Bradley would be a good Readers Rep @ the LA Times.
JD (812f4d) — 12/11/2009 @ 3:19 pm#23 JD:
I would rather see him doing something he enjoys…and I don’t think he would like the LAT position.
Besides, not like there is muchas job security there.
But, if he could hook up with Breitbart folks (and keep his day job), I might even wander over there to take a gander at them once in a while. 😉
/Oh, and JD? Have you been playing with emoticons lately, or am I correct in surmising that there is a JD of the female persuasion traipsing about Patterico’s?
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 12/11/2009 @ 3:32 pmAre you kidding? He’d be terrible, holding the editors and reporter’s collective feet to the fire, discussing and correcting inaccuracies. A complete disaster. The last guy who held that job title with any respect was Orkent at the NYT, and he was gone after around two years.
Dmac (a964d5) — 12/11/2009 @ 3:38 pmDmac is right,
The LA Times would not be able to endure independent criticism. It wants a Potemkin Village ombudsman, not the real kind.
BTW, Okrent wasn’t supposed to have that job permanently, so I don’t blame the NYT for hiring replacements. Byron Calame was a disaster. The current one, Clark Hoyt, is no Okrent, but he has still stung the Grey Lady on a few occasions. Much better than anything the LAT has done.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (c1861a) — 12/11/2009 @ 3:52 pmO/T, but…
AD - RtR/OS! (e54b5e) — 12/11/2009 @ 3:57 pmTiger Woods announces indefinite suspension of his PGA career (H/T Special Report/FoxNews).
EW1 – I have used them from time to time, NTTAWWT 😉
JD (dda3fa) — 12/11/2009 @ 4:04 pmDustin asked:
More than a guess, I can tell you that my website costs me a whopping $79 a year, for both site hosting services and the domain name.
Our esteemed host has told us before that this fine site costs a lot more, but with all of his traffic, he’s having to pay for more bandwidth.
Still, Mr Breitbart will have other expenses than just site hosting: he’s beginning an undertaking which will involve research and other costs.
For me, blogging is
The blogger Dana (474dfc) — 12/11/2009 @ 4:05 pman obsessiona hobby; for Mr Breitbart, it’s his profession.Tiger should join the republican party. He’d fit right on, AD-tos
bells bells (08dac2) — 12/11/2009 @ 4:32 pmBradley could never be the LAT Readers Rep. He doesn’t meet their standards. And it’s to our benefit he doesn’t.
The first job requirement listed for any candidates posted on their website:
–Passionate about The Times’ role in upholding the tenets of good journalism.
Heh.
Dana (e9ba20) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:11 pm–Passionate about The Times’ role in upholding the tenets of good journalism.
HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW!
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (c1861a) — 12/11/2009 @ 5:39 pmBradley, you should talk to Andrew about Big Science. That would be a nice exercise in sorting out the climate fiasco shortly before digging into second hand smoke, obesity, the story of IQ and a few other PC topics I could think of.
What about nuclear power, oil and gas, oil shale, etc, etc ?
Mike K (2cf494) — 12/11/2009 @ 6:28 pmI could add the electrical grid, wind power subsidies, green jobs.
That should keep someone who understands science and economics busy for about 10 years.
Mike K (2cf494) — 12/11/2009 @ 6:30 pm#32, Bradley, the only thing the LA Times knows about “…upholding the tenets of good journalism” is how to ensure their readers are never exposed to such an unsettling experience.
ropelight (5c6f98) — 12/11/2009 @ 7:09 pm#31 Dana:
When I saw what Bradley was laughing at, I wondered where it came from…as I don’t think even our regular trolls could spit out that whopper.
Wow. Just, wow.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 12/11/2009 @ 7:16 pmA few more tidbits for you to ponder, Bradley, if you’re entertaining dreams of becoming the next… Readers Rep!
–Knowledgeable about which inquiries are worth pursuing and what action should be taken. This includes the ability to recognize situations in which it will be necessary to independently investigate questions of accuracy and fairness in our news coverage.
–Highly organized and able to set priorities in a fast-paced environment, keeping in mind the overall goal of the office: to act as a voice for our readers and to help hold us accountable to our professional standards.
[emph. added]
Dana (e9ba20) — 12/11/2009 @ 7:18 pmBradley, you should talk to Andrew about Big Science.
Mike K., that is a wonderful suggestion. I’ll email him this weekend and see what he says.
I’m beginning to think of the climate fiasco as one more bubble we’ve had in the last decade or so — first tech, then real estate. In each case, the experts had impeccable credentials and gave what appeared airtight reasons for being right. I remember being told back in 2005 that there was no way San Diego real estate was in a bubble.
In each case, the experts wound up getting totally out of touch with reality. And, I might add, some of the real estate bulls didn’t think much of skeptics and blamed the media for spreading skepticism.
Sound familiar?
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 12/11/2009 @ 9:05 pmDana,
The thought of being the Los Angeles Times’ Readers
RepDeceiver strikes me as highly vomitrocious.While I’m not at a world-known newspaper (or what’s left of it), at least I have a clear conscience and am not forced to hew to a party line. (My blog at the newspaper – click my name for it — is evidence of that).
I know there are good, decent people at the LA Times, but they are helpless against the rotten people in charge.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 12/11/2009 @ 9:17 pmRegarding global warming — it’s a priceless opportunity for journalists to get some real scoops. Normally, the Hounds of the Fourth Estate would be all over this, leaving little room for competition. But the great majority of reporters are ignorant of the subject, ideologically biased against investigating the weaknesses in AGW, or both. So there’s plenty of room for enterprising reporters to make their mark.
If there is any justice, a Pulitizer would go to Steve McIntyre or Anthony Watts, for the story the press wouldn’t touch.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 12/11/2009 @ 9:24 pmThe Pulitzer Cmte would never dare.
AD - RtR/OS! (e54b5e) — 12/11/2009 @ 10:13 pmHow would they ever get a dinner invite to a Georgetown party again?
If Breitbart wants help with BigScience, he might want to get in touch with Climate-Skeptic. He recently posted a father-son video that is poisonous to the AGW alarmists. He also has a 90-minute video (or 9 10-minute videos, your choice) where he is videotaped addressing an audience on global warming. Very good viewing.
John Hitchcock (3fd153) — 12/11/2009 @ 10:40 pm