<nettime> interview with CNN's wolf blitzer

["nettime's_bloggee" <nettime@bbs.thing.net>]

< fafblog.blogspot.com/2004_07_25_fafblog_archive.html#109102674245058489 >

   Tuesday, July 27, 2004

   Fafblog: THE WOLF BLITZER INTERVIEW

   Here at the convention there isn't that much to do right now other
   than eat tiny quiches an finger sammiches an hang out at panels
   drinkin wine but we're still havin an ok time with that. Me an Giblets
   have been hangin out at such panels as "Blogging: Transforming the
   Medium of Media" an "Blogging: A Radical New Media of Blogging" an
   "Blogging: Blog Media Bloggity Blog Media Bla-blog" where we have lent
   our expert advice to confused broadcast journalists whose minds are
   dazzled by the oh so confusin world of computer wizardry.
   It was here that me an Gibs were interviewed by Wolf Blitzer so that
   he might better understand the Heady An Complicated Emergent
   Phenomenon of Blog Journalism.
   WOLF BLITZER: So, Fafnir and Giblets, what IS a blog?
   FAFNIR: Blogs are the future Wolf.
   GIBLETS: Yes! They are MADE of the future! We extract the future's
   pure temporal essence an squeeze it into cables an modems an T3 lines
   it becomes a blog!
   F: A blog... of the future.
   WB: How much thought goes into your "web blog" "posts"?
   F: Oh we do not think at all when we post! That would defeat the
   entire purpose!
   G: Blogs must be spontaneous intant reactions to the lightning events
   of the everyday! Giblets fires up a random news article, pounds his
   head against the keyboard several times, an hits the "publish" button
   for the purest of pure blog posts!
   F: Otherwise you are not truly flowin in the electric consciousness
   Wolf.
   WB: Do you think blogs are transforming the discourse in America, and
   if so how so?
   F: Oh they definitely are Wolf. There is not much that can resist our
   transformin internet power.
   G: We are MADE of the internet. We course with its febrile energy!
   F: An we will make the discourse faster because blogs are faster. When
   someone starts talkin bout somethin that just happened five minutes
   ago someone else will say "oh I already heard about that yesterday,
   borin" an they will drop it cuz it's borin.
   G: When someone starts talkin bout somethin else they will change
   subject not in the middle of the sentence, but before the other
   sentence was actually spoken.
   F: It will be just that fast.
   WB: Fascinating. Now, blogs just don't do the kind of rigorous
   fact-checking and editorial work that we do here in the mainstream
   media...
   F: That's very true. Not like you have at CNN or MSNBC or Fox!
   G: Some days we sit around thinkin "Oh man if only we could maintain
   the journalistic rigor of Robert Novak or Charles Krauthammer or Brit
   Hume!"
   F: Or Judith Miller or Chris Matthews or CNN's Bill Schneider!
   G: But then we would lose our cuttin-edge appeal Wolf Blitzer. Our
   cuttin-edge appeal.
   WB: But given that bloggers might be biased, or play "fast and loose
   with the truth," and given the increased importance of blogs today,
   should Americans be concerned?
   F: Yes they should be very concerned. We are an unchained force of
   nature Wolf Blitzer! You cannot stop us once we spin out of
   telecommunicontrol!
   G: Bow before the power of blog Wolf Blitzer! Bow before the power of
   blog NOOOOOOW!
   WB: But that means the mainstream media would be defenseless before an
   onslaught of raw unfiltered opinion and skewed news!
   F: It could lead to... a blogpocalypse.
   G: A rain of electronic fire and doom upon all mankind!
   F: An the mainstream press would be helpless to stop it.
   G: Heeeeellllpleeeessss! BOWBEFOREGIBLETS!
   WB: Amazing. Thank you so much for your time, Fafnir and Giblets.
   F: Thank you, Wolf. Can we interview you now?
   WB: Sorry, I already have an interview with Tim Russert scheduled.
   F&G: Awwwwwwwww.

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