I Don't Talk to A--holes

November 5, 2012 1:11 PM

The new "no comment": F-Off. Has electronic media created an F-bomb journalistic culture? "The close 2012 presidential campaign has been an especially ideal environment for this new mind-set of nonstop combat — marked by blazing email trails, streaked with profanity and accusations of incompetence and bad faith."
posted by Xurando (20 comments total)

The reporter’s e-mail was insistent, his questions obviously skeptical.

One wonders slightly if they were actually questions or just statements with question marks at the end and the questionee as a prop, per a lot of news-cycle chasing reporting. That the first concrete example they give is Rev. Wright related bullshit doesn't exactly raise hopes.
posted by Artw at 1:20 PM on November 5, 2012

Why is BuzzFeed considered journalism culture and why is the State Department (or etc.) responding to them at all? How can you develop a lasting and thoughtful relationship with a website that's just list driven -- of course they exemplify everything that's "transactional" about the industry. Yeesh.
posted by boo_radley at 1:21 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Not that there aren't more than a few politicians I wouldnt mind seeing pushed for answers on some actual real questions.
posted by Artw at 1:23 PM on November 5, 2012

I think that the country would benefit from a metatalk.gov and a Secretrary of Banhammer. Of course, we'll need more mods ...
posted by scblackman at 1:26 PM on November 5, 2012 [4 favorites]

Well bless their hearts.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2012 [4 favorites]

Reporters blame a pattern of swaggering non-responsiveness among press aides, in which operatives often seem to be posturing to win favor with colleagues and bosses for being tough

You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment.
posted by ambrosia at 1:42 PM on November 5, 2012 [4 favorites]

Politico complaining about BuzzFeed? These are web sites I won't even let run Javascript in my browser and I'm supposed to listen to them preach about civility?
posted by benito.strauss at 1:54 PM on November 5, 2012 [4 favorites]

I think that the country would benefit from a metatalk.gov and a Secretrary of Banhammer. Of course, we'll need more mods ...

I actually applied through the Obama Administration four years ago when they were specifically looking for online community types. Never heard back. Still think that a couple of seriously experienced community people could be a pretty major asset to a tech-savvy administration...
posted by restless_nomad at 2:00 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

Politico complaining about BuzzFeed?

Politico complaining on Buzzfeed's behalf.
posted by Artw at 2:05 PM on November 5, 2012

Or as we say in my land, "fuddle-duddle."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:06 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

Politico is pathetic.

The only quote? David Brooks.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:08 PM on November 5, 2012

You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment.

Let's roll some tits up the flagpole and see if anyone gets wood.
posted by Artw at 2:09 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

People interested in this may want to check out Deborah Tannen's The Argument Culture.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 2:20 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Ironmouth:

He writes a column for the Times
He is respected on TV
He is so information-free
And I wish I could publish my own book
I wish I could be like David Brooks

(sung to "David Watts")
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:24 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Come On, Feel The Buzz
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 4:32 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

(sung to "David Watts")

Credit to the original version by The Kinks.

/The more I check out The Kinks, the more I like them, and the more I feel the need to force them on other people.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:34 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Come On, Feel The Buzz
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse

Thanks for that, CEL. I've read one or two article from the re-booted The Baffler and was pretty disappointed. But that article reminded me of the good old stuff. It's a real good description of the origins and intentions of Politico, and a glimpse at how meme re-packagers BuzzFeed are stepping into politics.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:54 PM on November 5, 2012

Oh look, the email exchange is basically Email exchange here, and yes, it starts with questions, which are loopy conspiracy nonsense about Libya, which are then answered then, not satisfied by that, the journalist/crazy person starts haranguing the aide and eventually gets a well deserved fuck off.
posted by Artw at 7:05 PM on November 5, 2012

Politico? Really?
posted by bardic at 8:53 PM on November 5, 2012

Hastings wrote the Rolling Stone article which led to Stanley McChrystal getting fired. I wonder if there's some lingering resentment from that which played into this incident.
posted by homunculus at 10:25 PM on November 5, 2012