Leftwing journalist cabal confirmed. From Politico:
For the past two years, several hundred left-leaning bloggers, political reporters, magazine writers, policy wonks and academics have talked stories and compared notes in an off-the-record online meeting space called JournoList.
Proof of a vast liberal media conspiracy?
Not at all, says Ezra Klein, the 24-year-old American Prospect blogging wunderkind who formed JournoList in February 2007. “Basically,†he says, “it’s just a list where journalists and policy wonks can discuss issues freely.â€
But some of the journalists who participate in the online discussion say — off the record, of course — that it has been a great help in their work. On the record, The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin acknowledged that a Talk of the Town piece — he won’t say which one — got its start in part via a conversation on JournoList. And JLister Eric Alterman, The Nation writer and CUNY professor, said he’s seen discussions that start on the list seep into the world beyond.
“I’m very lazy about writing when I’m not getting paid,†Alterman said. “So if I take the trouble to write something in any detail on the list, I tend to cannibalize it. It doesn’t surprise me when I see things on the list on people’s blogs.â€
Last April, criticism of ABC’s handling of a Democratic presidential debate took shape on JList before morphing into an open letter to the network, signed by more than 40 journalists and academics — many of whom are JList members.
See alsoBut beyond these specific examples, it’s hard to trace JList’s influence in the media, because so few JListers are willing to talk on the record about it.
POLITICO contacted nearly three dozen current JList members for this story. The majority either declined to comment or didn’t respond to interview requests — and then returned to JList to post items on why they wouldn’t be talking to POLITICO about what goes on there.
In an e-mail, Klein said he understands that the JList’s off-the-record rule “makes it seems secretive.†But he insisted that JList discussions have to be off the record in order to “ensure that folks feel safe giving off-the-cuff analysis and instant reactions.â€
One byproduct of that secrecy: For all its high-profile membership — which includes Nobel Prize-winning columnist Paul Krugman; staffers from Newsweek, POLITICO, Huffington Post, The New Republic, The Nation and The New Yorker; policy wonks, academics and bloggers such as Klein and Matthew Yglesias — JList itself has received almost no attention from the media.
The first rule of JournoList Club is that you don’t talk about JournoList Club…
Honestly, I think someone somewhere must be able to leak the names on this list. Maybe we should put up a reward. It sure would be interesting to see how the strings are being pulled.
And yeah, it matters, because these are the very folks who helped sell the country of a slick talking, teleprompter-fed charismat who, now that he’s found his way to White House, has set to work paying back his ideological backers by trying to quickly and fundamentally transform the very spirit of this country.
After the Townhouse debacle blew up in their faces, you’d think these wannabe architects of our society — smirking brats, the lot of them, whose care for the “little guy” never much gets beyond the theoretical (else, why cordon yourself off into a secret enclave of opinion deciders?) — would have learned a lesson.
Unfortunately, that lesson seems to have been that there’s a desire, on the part of the rank and file of the leftwing blogosphere, to be “directed” by their big name betters — told what to think, what talk about, and how to argue positions — and hey, nature abhors a vacuum, right…?
(h/t cj burch)
Jeff, maybe you could ask Politico to give up some more names, they were on the list.
One byproduct of that secrecy: For all its high-profile membership — which includes Nobel Prize-winning columnist Paul Krugman; staffers from Newsweek, POLITICO, Huffington Post, The New Republic, The Nation and The New Yorker; policy wonks, academics and bloggers such as Klein and Matthew Yglesias
Although I have a feeling they might not be on the list much more. Minitru has a long memory for sleights.
Sure. But not as much as my Golden Retreiver.
Another and slightly less important question: How man conservative journalists knew ( or suspected ) this sort of thing had been going on but were happy to let it lie for the benefit of news club, and their own careers and social life? Maybe the problem here isn’t the left leaning media or the right leaning media, but all of the media.
It should be interesting to watch how Michael Calderone is treated in the press for the next few days to week. That may be an indicator as to how threatening any outing is taken, so in turn how much value these journoclowns put on their little club.
Nothing will happen to Michael Calderone. JournoList is obviously made up of the Liberal Nomenklatura that shapes the messaging that goes back and forth between the Obama White House and the MSM.
Don’t be naiive.
The “outing” of JournoList was planned. They don’t care that Calderone “outed” them. As long as no content gets out that shows the extent of the cross-pollination between the WH, the DNC and the news media, there’s no problem.
How many people at the NYT and ABC, NBC and CBS are on it you think?
Sorry, section9, I can’t not be naive. After all, I don’t have you around at all times to explain the world to me.
Someone should make sure the content gets out. All you have to do is go back and look at all the Obama team’s press releases for the last couple of years then compare them to the stories and columns the members of the club filed. How hard is that? I know it requires some effort and some moxie but surely some one at a conservative leaning magazine can scrape together a little of that, right?
Can we get HUAC to investigate them?
Who actually does their thinking for them? Who decides what the content shall be? I WANT NAMES, DAMMIT!
OUTLAW!!
I blame the vast left-wing conspiracy!
Only in this case it really is a conspiracy.
Here’s what will be “starved of oxygen” today: Amid AIG Furor, Dodd Tries to Undo Bonus Protections He Put In You see, St. Christopher of Connecticut decided to get on the right side of the latest White House Outrage before the Two Minutes Hate started.
Meanwhile, RUSH LIMBAUGH!!! AND ALSO DICK CHENEY! AND THE CABAL!!!! Straight answers sold seperately.
Pablo you also forgot to include Obama ranting about these bonuses when he signed a law expressly permiting them. No hypocricy there nope no sir. Either that or he didn’t even read his own freakin bill which is far more likely but shows a stunning level of incompetence.
You remember the $787 billion stimulus that everyone had to vote on RIGHT NOW lest Granny McRictusface miss her plane. Change you can believe in…if you’re an idiot.
How much longer will they be able to bang the Dick Cheney drum and rattle the George Bush tamborine? I think until about 10 years after the two of them have passed away.
They still rant about Nixon I think you are giving them a little too much credit.
No, planned from the get go. This will be leveraged into more power and popularity for O!
It should be interesting to watch how Michael Calderone is treated in the press for the next few days to week
Oh, he’s already being vilified – scorched earth style they are so good at. Read Brad Delong who’s trying very hard to downplay the cabal and blame Michael for it all.
Speaking of AIG – retard Dodd and Obama’s fake outrage:
Incompetence? Deceit? Or both?
Delong seems to provide Calerone an easy side-door, namely, apologize for the headline and blame the headline writer for the error. Then blames Calderone for getting stuck halfway out the door. MC knows how to point to a headline writer but evidently doesn’t know how to apologize for being wrong!
I’m trying not to take geoffb’s line of thought too far but … would they really have deliberately put this into the original stimulus bill just to have the opportunity to put forth a targeted tax on one business’ compensation structure? Because the idea of that? I’m finding a little bit scary.
Doesn’t it strike anyone else as ironic — or something — that the left never seems to fail to be doing exactly what they accuse the right of doing.
I never saw evidence of a “vast right-wing conspiracy,” but there are at least two listservs where the left gets marching orders.
What did John Judis say in the article? “There is probably general agreement on the stupidity of today’s GOP.†Yep, that sounds like a free exchange of ideas and challenge to authority.
But they do apparently have disagreements on Israel. What would the disagreements be? Whether Hamas or Hezbollah gets to destroy Tel-Aviv or just leave it to Iran?
The staff is always stupid, and incompetent. The “stupid” excuse of choice whenever something smelling of evil is outed. If that doesn’t work there is always a hungry bus waiting.
I never saw evidence of a “vast right-wing conspiracy,†but there are at least two listservs where the left gets marching orders.
and don’t forget, 2 conference call groups too — 8:45am baby!
I bet that sad sack of flesh Wolcott is a JournoLister.
To restate something I said over at Patterico:
With any other industry, this would be called a cartel.
Seriously — these are supposed to be competitors. They’re supposed to be trying to out-do each other. Instead, they’re collaborating to determine what will be discussed, how, and when. And somehow, I doubt this is what the lefties think about when they worry about “concentration of media ownership”.
Remember this some “journalist” steps on his dick and blames “the pressure to get the scoop”.
My more complete thoughts were posted here. I mostly believe they set traps, many traps, and wait to see which ones get the juiciest prey to use. A lot of ad hoc with media running cover.
Liberals always see something conspiratorial about the right because they – especially progressives – are so insular that encountering what they deem to be malicious and illegitimate thoughts that appear to have popular support could have no other explanation. It’s like the famous line from Pauline Kael where she expressed shock that Nixon won because nobody she knew voted for him. It’s somewhat amusing that the left believes they “need” a media conspiracy to combat ours.
Rob Crawford has a very good point that’s been overlooked for a long time.
Also, one other thing from the article: We’re supposed to take Eric Alterman seriously as a commentator, yet he admits he uses the list because he’s just too darn lazy to keep up with things and writing is so hard. What a maroon.
Gosh, if the Fairness Doctrine gets passed, wouldn’t the JClub be forced to allow equal time to conservative journalist points of view.
Well, all 3 of the actually conservative journalists.
“Well, all 3 of the actually conservative journalists.”
Ooh, me, me!
Sullivan, Frum, and Parker. /sarc
Actually this explains a lot about Sullivan, Parker, Frum and Brooks. They feel left our and are hoping for an invite to The Algonquin Table.
our = out AWESOME SPELLING POWERS … ACTIVATE!
Did it? The way I remember it, the explosion didn’t even dent a smirk.
For a couple days, the list became about itself. So it was supplanted.
Status is zero-sum. There’s not enough money in the whole VRWC to buy down one VLWCer’s.
If someone who knows tells you, he’s not whistleblowing. He’s been told to tell, for reasons you probably haven’t anticipated. So don’t ask.
You can deduce it. False accusations are admissions. Make a list of anti-VRWC talking points, and change the names. You’ll be right.
There are false admissions, too.
The ‘Fight Club’ comparison seems apt, now that one considers the whole country in the middle of Project Mayhem.
Another thing to consider is how much of this is meant to drive each other’s internet traffic — which is generally tied to their revenue stream.
Like a little ideological-shaping ponzi scheme.
[…] Jeff Goldstein writes “The first rule of JournoList Club is that you don’t talk about JournoList […]
Yup. Nothing’s changed. You can’t shame people who aren’t capable of shame.
I’m not sure how useful it is in that regard, but it sure would help keep the messaging tight. So, you know…RUSH LIMBAUGH!!! Or, should I say…OUTRAGEOUS AIG BONUSES!!!
It’s tough keeping up with what’s cool from day to day.
Freely: with assurance of agreement and support for our ideas, and without fear of contradiction
[…] Jeff Goldstein explains why it matters: Honestly, I think someone somewhere must be able to leak the names on this list. Maybe we should put up a reward. It sure would be interesting to see how the strings are being pulled. […]
Speaking of, what are you planning to do with the emails you collected, Jeff? Seems to me an OUTLAW forum could be useful to help shape our thoughts.
And yeah, it matters, because these are the very folks who helped sell the country of a slick talking, teleprompter-fed charismat who, now that he’s found his way to White House, has set to work paying back his ideological backers by trying to quickly and fundamentally transform the very spirit of this country.
The attempted speed of The One’s promised “Change” is the huckster trying to show the rube The Egress before he catches on.
Then there’s the huckster’s suck-o-phants who know and want America to stop being America … kind of like the jihadists in Britain seething to make Jolly Olde another Islamist paradise.
Maybe Sullivan’s all worked up because he hasn’t been let into the Treehouse yet?
Ever notice how Limbaugh will have a montage of liberals and media types (but I repeat myself) all saying the same phrase, one after another?
This would seem to explain how that keeps happening.
The idea there is to create a distributed community to send tips, set up speakers and debates, get the message out on a grass roots level.
But if you google my appearance at Samsphere last year (ignore the haircut, please) you’ll note that I was very much against the kind of approach on offer, at least in as far as the story describes how it works.
So no, I won’t be setting up any kind of talking points list. Instead, I may teach those who are interested how to think about language, so that they won’t need talking points from me or anyone else. The OUTrage will just write itself.
Well, it’s pretty funny to think these are the same people who were all up in arms by the gay porn cock of lies — he wasn’t OBJECTIVE!…you know Gannan blogger who they thought A- should be in a press corp and B- didn’t didn’t like that his questions were not of the “so when did you stop beating your wife” sort.
. Instead, I may teach those who are interested how to think about language, so that they won’t need talking points from me or anyone else. The OUTrage will just write itself.
There won’t be any tests, will there?
Just as long as there’s no math….
No fears. We’ve been promised there would be no math on this blog.
I don’t think this is funny.
And I don’t particularly expect to see the content any more than the LAT Obama video.
I just expect the death spiral of the MSM to continue, the only amusing part of all this.
“So no, I won’t be setting up any kind of talking points list. Instead, I may teach those who are interested how to think about language, so that they won’t need talking points from me or anyone else. The OUTrage will just write itself.”
That’s about all I had in mind. I’m not much interested in talking points; I often times tend to avoid talking about what everyone else is talking about anyway.
Is a listserv something that one can take care of with high explosives? If so, let’s – this “listserv” appears to be a terrific threat to the Republic.
On a more constructive note, what one could do is to wait until one is defamed by a “journalist” on the listserv, and then bring a defamation action and seek the listserv posts as relevant evidence in Discovery.
Ooops! I nearly missed an opportunity to mention what a smug, sniveling little cocksucker Ezra Klein is, and express my desire to meet him in single combat. Two men enter, one man leaves.
Wow. Just because the right has talking points memos, the assumption here is that the left does too. By the way, in case you didn’t notice, a left outrage continues because one thing we hate is being told that we are not independent thinkers. In fact, that’s one thing that practically everybody hates.
If sharing information and ideas is conspiracy, then conspiracy is going on right now, with this post. But, to my way of thinking, the war of ideas is what is occurring, rather than any sort of conspiracy. And sometimes, just sometimes, in the middle of a conflict, you want to communicate with someone that likely agrees with you.
Except, Christopher, that the list in question includes members of the current administration and the supposedly independent minds that are to be keeping an eye on them.
For myself, I wonder how many stories were “talked-down” on the list, to be buried in the five-minute-hate of the day.