I’m intrigued by Andrew Marr’s recent attack on blogging. For those who’ve missed his comments, here’s what he told an audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, as reported in the Telegraph:
“Most citizen journalism strikes me as nothing to do with journalism at all. A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed, young men sitting in their mother’s basements and ranting. They are very angry people. … Most of the blogging is too angry and too abusive. It is vituperative. Terrible things are said on line because they are anonymous. People say things on line that they wouldn’t dream of saying in person.”
It is not the rather tired cliche that bloggers are ugly geeks that surprises me — we’ve all gone for the cheap laugh at some point. No, it is Andrew Marr suddenly taking the moral high ground which I find a little, well, cheeky.
Cast your mind back just over a year, and you may remember a rumour which did the rounds of a handful of bloggers alleging that the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, was dependent on prescription painkillers and pills. The story was not touched by a single reputable news outlet because there was not a shred of reliable evidence to support it.
But that didn’t stop Andrew Marr choosing to ask Mr Brown about it live on air on his Sunday morning show.
Perhaps next time Andrew Marr chooses to attack ‘abusive’ blogging he might also like to say why he’s happy to use unsourced rumours on blogs as a source for questions to the Prime Minister in a desperate bid to generate some controversy?
New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
Appalling drivel from Marr
Most online blogs with a readership of more than 1 are not anonymous, and very few are more offensive than the shock jocks of talk-radio. Sour grapes from someone who’s suddenly finding that his highly paid job isn’t terribly difficult. And ironic considering he’s not only being unnecessarily abusive himself, but is bald and slightly seedy looking…
RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
"Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite | stephentall.org" – http://bit.ly/9XXwxV via @Apture
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
"Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite | stephentall.org" – http://bit.ly/9XXwxV via @Apture — a 'lot' of a hypocrite imho
Marr slams bloggers RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
Insult A.Marr to his face day. RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
Short but sweet blog –> RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
Noooo! http://stephentall.org/2010/10/11/andrew-marr-a-little-bit-of-a-hypocrite/
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @maxatkinson: RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR <Quite so.
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
In the words of sheldon cooper: BAZINGA!!! RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR > this is an excellent point
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR Hmm Glass houses,living etc?
Marr is smart – his quote pressed the publicity buttons in order to promote his latest book. And the publicity has come because of who said it, not what was said. Because what he said was total and utter rubbish.
I certainly don’t believe Marr is trying to defend the noble profession of journalism. Anyone reading ‘My Trade’ cannot but come away with the impression that, despite his passionate love for his industry, Marr believes most journalists wipe their feet on the way OUT of the office.
RT @Glinner: Pow. RT @stephentall: New post: Andrew Marr: a little bit of a hypocrite http://bit.ly/clYdNR
Well itm turns out you were completely in the right – not just am little bit of a hyprocrite at all, a big fat hypocrite!