At the beginning of 2021, I decided to shift my online activities — I was going to blog more and use Facebook and Twitter less. At the same time, I decided to start offering memberships to Media Nation for $5 a month, following the lead of Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson, pundits such as Andrew Sullivan, reporters such as Patrice Peck and others.
Most of these other folks are using Substack, a newsletter platform. I figured I had sunk way too many years — 16 — into writing Media Nation as a blog, and I didn’t want to switch to a platform that’s reliant on venture capital and could eventually go the way of most such companies. So here I am, still blogging at WordPress.com, and asking readers to consider becoming members by supporting me on Patreon.
And yes, I have been blogging more as I try to stay on top of various media stories, especially involving local journalism, as well as politics, culture and the news of the day. Just this week I’ve written about Larry Flynt and the First Amendment, Duke Ellington’s legacy, a new partnership between The Boston Globe and the Portland Press Herald, and a Louisiana reporter who’s been sued for — believe it or not — filing a public-records request.
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Marilyn Jackson
Hi, Dan. I’m a member and wonder about a couple of things. Regarding the investigation of the insurrection, were there any deliberations about journalists providing video to law enforcement? Of course, with so much content online in social media, perhaps that question is moot. About possible conviction, must 67 senators vote, or could Some Republicans abstain, reducing the numbers requiring a two-thirds vote? Perhaps you can discuss this in a future blog. Also, I cannot find the Marty Baron interview you referenced a week or so ago. Could you please let me know. Thanks!
Marilyn Jackson
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Dan Kennedy
@Marilyn: The threat that unused news footage will be subpoenaed is ever present, but I think you’re right in this case — there is so much footage from social media and security cameras that it’s not an issue. Conviction requires two-thirds of the members present, so I imagine senators would have to stay away altogether rather than abstain. And here is my item on the Marty Baron interview: https://dankennedy.net/2021/02/08/marty-baron-walter-lippmann-and-the-true-meaning-of-objectivity/