OK, I burned my press pass
By Laurent Belsie | 03.27.09
One of the big changes in the new economy is the reinvention of newspapers.
On Friday, it hit this newsroom head on. It was the last day of The Christian Science Monitor as a daily publication. We’re beefing up our online presence and starting a weekly magazine. Farewell, daily print.
So to mark the occasion, I burned my press pass.
What’s the story?
Why burn a press pass?
Because in the new world of journalism, anyone can gather facts and publish them. That means my journalism colleagues and I are no longer gatekeepers, we’re just professionals vying with a lot of other people who (I hope) want to get the facts straight and their analysis right.
Something else is afoot here in the journalism world beyond the end of 100 years of daily print at the Monitor. It hit home for me this week when my colleague Jimmy Orr looked into blogosphere speculation that President Obama, in writing to Jacques Chirac, mistakenly thought he was the current French president rather than the former one.
Eight minutes of research into French press accounts revealed that that interpretation was all wrong. The president was responding to Chirac, nothing more. Nevertheless, Jimmy’s blog debunking that nonstory got 13 times the online traffic that our piece on the Asian trade slump got, even though it came out on the same day.
No one could argue what was the more important story. The postwar prosperity of Asia – by far, the most populous part of the world – has been hugely dependent on exports. If trade is slumping there, think of the implications. No comparison with the Obama non-gaffe.
In the old journalism world, stories were carefully researched before being published. In the blogosphere, anything goes. Anyone can start a news conversation.
What gets published may be true. Or half true. Or bogus.
But here’s the important difference: On the Internet, half-truths and falsehoods can be rapidly corrected. Alert surfers, citizen journalists, and truth squad sites like Snopes.com are out there watching what is said. The Internet is a rumor mill. But it is democratic and self-correcting.
The press and public have always interacted and influenced each other, but the scale of power now seems to be tipping toward the public.
That’s why I burned my press creds. I want to be a part of that new dynamic.
A charred symbol
Sure, burning a press pass is only symbolic. I still have the backing of my news organization and its name recognition, which gives me big advantages in getting access to key sources. If I need it, I can always get another press pass. But maybe the next press pass should be conferred more democratically.
Forgive me for falling back on my French ancestry, but “Nous sommes tous journalistes, maintenant.”
Next time you want to know what’s happening in the world economy, drop by our website. Check out the content and comment below with a yea or nay on whether we deserve that press pass. Or Twitter us with an @reply.
We’ll tally up the votes and report back. Or you can.
We’re all in this together now. We’re all journalists.
Comments
2. editorial | 03.31.09
Rachel,
It actually was my most current press pass, since I became an editor in 2003 and didn’t cover events anymore. Now, as combination blogger/editor, we’ll see what I need. The nice thing about the blogosphere, though, is that good ideas bubble up, no matter what one’s official access.
Laurent
Economics Editor
3. Peter K. | 09.26.09
After stumbling here I saw the burned press pass and read just your opening comments. I thought “Here we go; another traditional media guy getting upset with progress and displaying his false sense of entitlement.”
Thank you for recognizing the importance and validity of the shift in media. Imagine how the world would be shaped over the next 50 years if JFK were assassinated this weekend, rather than 50 years ago.
I recommend that you read the (17 declarations) internet-manifesto_dot_org, as it helped me define concise talking points to your point.
Now, for me to take a moment and actually read a sampling of your commentary and discover that you’re a real jerk; Kidding! Truthfully, I’m about to build a central network for citizen press passes. I thought it might help force this whole suppression of rights thing to a break point.
Welcome to the largest press community, free people.
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1. Rachel | 03.28.09
I’m glad you mention that burning your press pass was only symbolic, since the one in the picture expired in 2002 and probably (hopefully!) wasn’t getting you much behind-the-scenes journalistic access.
I do hope you’ve gotten a new pass since then.