Emdashes—Modern Times Between the Lines

The Basics:
About Emdashes | Email us

Before it moved to The New Yorker:
Ask the Librarians

Best of Emdashes: Hit Parade
A Web Comic: The Wavy Rule

 
March302005

Topic A href= with Tina Brown

Filed under: Eds.   Tagged: ,

From the tireless David S. Hirschman at the essential MediaBistro Daily News Feed, this scoop by Greg Lindsay:


During the weblog's transition from a variation of a personal homepage to a rival to the reporting and commentary of the mainstream media (MSM)—and occasional assassin of the media's kings—I've been keeping an eye open for the announcement that would signal blogging's entry into the mainstream and the end of its subversive, outsider reputation. As a canary-in-the-coal-mine sign, Tina Brown is the perfect bird. The British-born editor is the consummate MSM insider, who, just as the dotcom boom was peaking, was pouring her media-mogul hopes and dreams into Talk magazine. (Remember that it had the preliminary subtitle of "The American Conversation," a mantle snatched away with gusto by the collective inhabitants of the blogosphere.)

The blogosphere seemed safe enough. These days Brown is busy with her cable-TV show, her Washington Post column, and the research for her seven-figure bio of Princess Diana. After a St. Patrick's Day rant in her column in which she point-blank declared that snoopy bloggers "are the new Stasi," I figured blogging would remain the hole-in-the-wall haven for journalistic outlaws.

But my sense of security was short-lived. Starting next month Brown is crashing the bloggers' party, as Arianna Huffington's guest.
Keep reading... [Links mine.]

It really does feel like one of those things that's already happened. Let us pray that Martha Stewart is next. Remember how her ad slogan was "Every day..."? And how annoying that was? Remember how she scolded us to make our beds? And yet she's thoroughly wormed herself into our consciousness—all right, I'll speak for myself. I bought two things "she" designed at Kmart (of course, generally I eschew superstores), and I see and admire them, yes, every day. And I think of her, and am glad she's out of jail, and understand that those are strange thoughts to be having, and enjoy having them anyway. That is why she will always win, and those who seek to topple her well-scrubbed queen will always lose. I'm ready for the blog. Every day.

When Will Tina Brown Blog? Scoop: Real Soon [Business 2.0, via MediaBistro]
Lunch at Martha's: Problems with the perfect life [New Yorker]
A Bad Thing: Why Did Martha Stewart Lose? [New Yorker]
Star Witness [New Yorker]

comments are off
2008 Webby Awards Official Honoree