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The Broken Heart of Rogers Park says yes. His commenters disagree.
Can Rogers Park's bloggers cover the neighborhood as well as the News Star?
morsehellhole.blogspot.com - 37 weeks ago - 577 views
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I think most people know my take. I completely disagree with the premise that "real news" can only be produced by "professional journalists." It's much easier to learn ethics and standards than it is to understand the character and fabric of a city, a neighborhood, a people, etc.
SO often I read stories written by "professional journalists" who, for all their skills, are outsiders looking in at their subject matter. And if I have personal experience with the subject matter, I often find the reporter has drawn the wrong conclusions or only shown one viewpoint where many exist.
Not every citizen can be a journalist. But some citizen journalists CAN do better than the "professionals."
Isn't that the point though? Outsiders looking in?
I guess it depends on one's preference. I'd rather hear it from an insider, someone who really understands what they're talking about and have maybe even experienced firsthand the things they're writing about. When I read about a subject matter I'm not familiar with, it's only enjoyable if the person writing about it has demonstrably been writing about it for a very long time. Otherwise, how is their perspective any different than mine? Because they made a few more phone calls and did a little more research?
I mean, I'd rather have a Kenyan guide me through Kenya than the savviest New Yorker. Why? Because the Kenyan is living it, he's not just passing through.
Well it's just different. You'd want the Kenyan to guide you through Kenya if getting an insider perspective was what you wanted. You'd want a New Yorker to guide you through Kenya if getting an objective perspective is what you want.
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