James Wolcott writes about weblogs and politics in “The Laptop Brigade”, an article appearing in next month’s Vanity Fair (April, 2004, pages 144-150). Wolcott starts off hyped
| Far from being a refuge for nose-picking narcissists, blogs have speedily matured into the most vivifying, talent-swapping, socializing breakthrough in popular journalism since the burst of coffeehouse periodicals and political pamphleteering in the 18th century, when The Spectator, The Tatler, and sundry other sheets liberated writing from literary patronage. |
but ends on an equivocal
| Journalism can’t and shouldn’t be taken over by bloggers, but they can take away some of the toys, and pull down the thrones. |
The meat of the article is a re-telling of recent events in the political blogosphere. Among those gaining mention are: Easterbrook, Mickey Kaus, Josh Marshall, BOP News, Sullivan vs. Atrios (and peripherally Nick Kristof), Glenn Reynolds, Brad DeLong, Daily Howler, Daily Kos, Adopt a Journalist.
Mid-article there’s a section where the author vents about the warbloggers
| …the warbloggers behaved like they owned the legacy and sorrow of September 11, as if only they understood How Everything Changed and those who disagreed had goldfish bowls on their heads. |
A decent read, but as far as I know not available on line. Worth picking up a copy of VF if you don’t subscribe.
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