One of Woody’s better lines was “Those who can’t do, teach. And those who can’t teach, teach gym.” We might add to that those who can’t write, write for the Columbia Journalism Review–judging by the risible piece in that magazine by one of its editors Corey Pein. Mr. Pein has authored a witless screed attacking bloggers for their behavior in the demise of Dan Rather, a kind of re-upped version of kill the messenger who brings the bad news, as if the bloggers themselves had been the forgers. I won’t bother to rehearse Pein’s paltry arguments, such as they are. They have been dispensed with sufficiently here and here. What I would like to discuss is the subtext. What concerns Pein is not the embarrassing Rather case, but his own livelihood. To write something so absurd–and before CBS’ own report has been published–means Pein really feels threatened by blogs. In some ways, I feel sorry for the poor fellow.
UPDATE: What’s amazing to me is how little fact-checking is done by the Columbia Journalism Review, if this article is any indication. Somewhat less amazing, but equally pathetic is that they solicit subscriptions at the bottom. As if.
MORE: Fortunately, the man himself is on the case. We can all be relieved.
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