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David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
Ashton Kutcher Savaged By Buddy For Attacking Poors
Since when do Japanese pornographers pay tech podcasters six figures?
TWiT Time: Live At Podcast NetCast Expo '06
TWiT Time: I got my juju working

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poguenyt
09/23/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
One other thing, about your UPDATE:

Dan Lyons (Fake Steve Jobs), in his eagerness to prove that I'm truly a Journalist, points to a talk I gave called "Opportunities and Dangers for Journalism."

Except—oops! That wasn't the title of my TALK. That was the title of the CONFERENCE!

"Opportunities and Dangers for Journalism: An All-Day Conference." Check it out: [bit.ly]

My talk was a funny introduction to Twitter and Web 2.0.

Does that make Dan not-a-journalist, too?

--Pogue
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ifstone
09/23/09

@poguenyt: Wow. Talk about missing the point, quibbling over shadings and thus confirming the diagnosis.

Dan Lyons, as mean as he can be, at least has a healthy skepticism that's called for in writing about products being pushed by big corporations -- or being pushed by non-journalists.
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Pogueman
09/23/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
What's the shocker here? It's true. I write an opinion column, and a pretty goofy one at that. I don't think that makes me a "reporter" or even a "Journalist."

When I hear "journalist," I think of something serious. Someone who writes news stories. Someone who "gets the story," calls witnesses, looks up documents, pursues leads...

I review gadgets.

A Lexis search for "Pogue+journalist" doesn't change that.

--Pogue
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ifstone
09/23/09

@Pogueman: So, if a movie critic -- also not a terribly serious job worthy of the appellation "journalist" -- had product tie-ins with a movie he was raving about but turned out to have "Ishtar"-sized holes in it, you wouldn't see a problem. Okay.

The whole "gadget reviewer" thing points to precisely the problem with a lot of what passes for technology coverage, on the blogs you deride, and even on NPR, which has its own gadget segment now. I remember when the old BYTE magazine gradually turned into yet another PC Magazine-style product catalog and I knew a fun phase of microcomputers had passed, to be replaced by another cynical, hype-filled arm of the consumer culture.
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jimstoic
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
David Pogue is a real person? I thought he was like the Brawney paper-towel guy, but for Apple.
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Kebie
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
Journalistic integrity in tech writing is kind of dumb. It isn't real journalism to begin with. Most people go into it with no training like I did, and the only reason I did it was because I got free shit.
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badasscat
09/22/09

@Kebie: But the point is you can't have it both ways. You're perfectly free to admit you're a shill and then to write like one. And that's sort of what he's doing here.

However, he's never had a problem with either calling himself, or allowing others to call him a journalist in the past. So let's see what his attitude is going forward. Is he "just a blogger" from now on? Or is he going to continue to call himself a journalist (or at least imply it) when he thinks it benefits him to be considered one?
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oyboy
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
I mean =asked his editors to make PUBLIC HIS industry ties/book deals=...
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oyboy
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
Questions about truth, beauty, the american way and different shades of journo-integrity notwithstanding (and I know, I know, that's a lot to notwithstand), here's the bottom line on Pogue's interview and how it's been played: Dumb to say he's not a journalist, and kind of dumb (but predictable) to make that the banner/screaming cyberheadline. Far more important and interesting is that the guy =asked his editors to make industry ties/book deals= repeatedly. From where I sit, that absolves him. That's all a reporter can do, and it's a lot of 'em don't. He did. Also, he makes the case that when he interviewed Jobs, he was doing so at his editors' requests. I think he comes off looking pretty good here, and that he's taken some cheap shots.
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Pope John Peeps II
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
"I like my interview subjects to like me."

Just as an aside, this is the reason why art criticism, especially literary and theatrical, is dead. Especially in Canada. A reviewer needs to be completely separate from any possible subject of any possible piece. And if a reporter is required to act as both reviewer and interviewer (like I am with my city paper, when I write), then every review is contaminated. Every time you write something potentially negative as review, you're writing about a small community of really fuckin' touchy people. And almost no paper in the country keeps a dedicated book/theater reviewer.
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heartbreakturnip
09/22/09

@Pope John Peeps II: Heh. He said "Canada." Canadians like their assailants to like them.
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gawkimo
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
Thomas Friedman's column has been little more than a huge weekly advertisement for his books for years.
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Edited by gawkimo at 09/22/09 1:24 PM gawkimo was starred gawkimo was unstarred

iplaudius
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
Because journalists never let personal opinion or ideology influence their reporting.
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Trulymadlyme
09/22/09

@iplaudius: Journalism, in the sense of what is being taught to students, i.e. objectivity, fact reporting, investigations, etc., has turned into a very small segment of what one might describe as the "media market." One reason is simply because it's boring (example: school board meeting. Voted on something. Quote. The end.) or it's insanely expensive, which makes it increasingly more difficult to monetize, even if one were to ignore the internets. There is this unholy industrial complex funding and fueling the media and it's okay to own it. PR, marketing and advertising isn't evil and coming to terms that your journalism degree will probably result in you either being woefully underpaid or writing proposals for other writers to write articles about whatever your client is paying you, directly or indirectly to write about. It's fine. But it's time to give up the ghost.
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Trulymadlyme
09/22/09

In reply to David Pogue: 'I Am Not a Reporter, I Have Never Been To Journalism School'
Dear Columbia and Northwestern journalism students: this is why your degree is an utter waste of money.
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ddukbokki
02/02/09

In reply to Ashton Kutcher Savaged By Buddy For Attacking Poors
believe it or not, i just met her daughter. demi is a great mom.
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Auntie_Meme
02/02/09

@ddukbokki: Well, congratufuckulations and whoopdeedamndoo. I'm vibrating with excitement to be in such close proximity to greatness, believe it or not.
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Oy Veh (Informality Reigns)
02/02/09

@Auntie_Meme: Mmmmm.. vibrators.. good times! What were we talking about?
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Auntie_Meme
02/02/09

@Oy Veh (Informality Reigns): I'm not sure. All that vibrating just shook my brain-pebble out of the little divot it sits in, inside my skull. I do feel pretty good, though.
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ddukbokki
02/02/09

@Auntie_Meme: woah, wasn't really trying to brag... just thought it was a coincidence. i didn't even know ashton and demi were together until i met her daughter.

i'm glad you're vibrating.
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Oy Veh (Informality Reigns)
02/02/09

@Auntie_Meme: Dumb as wood, but it's GOOD wood.
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Oy Veh (Informality Reigns)
02/02/09

@ddukbokki: Ah yes-- the children with names that seem to invite a game of fetch.
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pureblarney
02/02/09

In reply to Ashton Kutcher Savaged By Buddy For Attacking Poors
Okay, so, Ashton Kutcher's a huge asshole. How's everybody's Monday so far?
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Jack Offman
02/02/09

In reply to Ashton Kutcher Savaged By Buddy For Attacking Poors
What exactly does Kutcher do besides escort Moore to award shoes these days? McConaughey appears to have a monoploy on the romantic comedy genre leaving Kutcher out in the cold.
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shostakobitch
02/02/09

@Jack Offman: Katalyst Films.
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WackoJacko
02/02/09

@Jack Offman: Oh my God, I love award shoes! Manolos, specifically!!!!
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Steve Holt's Mother Part Deux
02/02/09

@Jack Offman: This might be an embarrassing admission to make...but I respect him. He's a guy who knows his acting limitations and started a production company that will make him money for years. So that's a big ole round of kudos in his favor.

The trucker hat look though? Ker blech.
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