But seriously, having a former call center manager bitch about the amateurishness of someone jumping into the deep end of reporting about current events is something so profoundly ridiculous that I actually checked to make certain that today wasn’t April 1.

Physics Geek on January 13, 2009 at 12:06 AM

Maybe you should re-read my post. I never said a word about his “amateurishness”, but his criticism of reporters for being biased while declaring that he would employ his own biases. I have the same criticism of the reporting coming out of this conflict, but sending JTP there to employ another set of biases is the wrong prescription. And that certainly doesn’t give Joe the standing to deliver a lecture on how to provide war coverage.

We need reliable information, not competing propaganda outlets. That’s the real issue.

Why not hire Yon, Totten, Ardolino, or Johannes — hard-nosed and fair war correspondents who don’t employ bias and can actually lecture reporters on how to cover a war?

Part criticism of Joe seems based on the fact that he simply doing for the Israelis what CNN and the BBC does for the Pelstinian entity and the Hamas terrorists.

Now who’s being dumb here. Suddenly Joe the Plumber is being held to a higher standard than international so–called “news” organizations?

Get this: the aforementioned “professionals” are NOT going to change thier partisan biased commentary masquerading as news.

We are NOT going to change that either. And while I hate to disagree with someone as talented as Roggio, but he talking bollocks.

He uses the oldest trick in the book in telling us what HE SAYS Joe is REALLY saying. Then he attacks and “spells outs” to the strawman he just created.

The proper response to mainstream journalists not acting professionally is not to bring in an amateur on your side.

I agree. Let’s send more people to school to learn how to read an effing teleprompter. That’ll be sure to teach a whole generation of “journalists” to be good at reading sh!t other people write for them.

Look, I don’t know if JTP is going to be a good correspondent or not. But calling him an amateur because, why? He didn’t go to J-school? Thank God for small favors. Or is it because he wasn’t a call center manager in a prior life? Because goodness knows that that is the BEST training for a budding journalist.

Oh sorry. Was that insulting to the author of this post? Good. You want to criticize how JTP does his job? Fine. You want to criticize him for actually admitting his bias? Fine. You want to call him amateurish for admitting that bias up front, rather than pretending that he’s objective, as most in the MSM are wont to do? Or call him an amateur because, well, he didn’t manage a call center, too? Not fine.

Ed, I’ve been reading your stuff for years, but this post is a big steaming pile. It embodies the worst nose in the air, holier than thou attitude that permeates the MSM. Pretending that typing what you actually see is something that requires great skill, training or education is just plain stupid. Saying it well is, of course, another matter entirely. Feel free to complain about that. But seriously, having a former call center manager bitch about the amateurishness of someone jumping into the deep end of reporting about current events is something so profoundly ridiculous that I actually checked to make certain that today wasn’t April 1.

But I consider all this a cheap shot by Pajamas Media, one that degrades their product and brings them down to the level of the MSM reporters who act like untrained amateurs.

I thought the raison d’être of Pyjamas Media – “a bunch of people sitting around in their pyjamas” – is to provide news from a citizen journalist (amateur) perspective? Joe the Plumber fits that ethos and as as long as he is upfront about his bias what’s the problem?

Joe Wurzelbacher came to Israel and Sderot, and while there, minced no words in letting know what he thinks of the MSM:…

The Race Card on January 12, 2009 at 3:20 PM

Well, given that you’re not likely to get fact based reporting any time soon (read, in this lifetime) is it really so wrong to have an agreeable celebrity reporter spinning things a different direction?

The Race Card on January 12, 2009 at 3:20 PM

I think you should also offer to buy the plane ticket since this is the internet.

But if you think Israelis are nothing but a bunch of gun wielding psychotics and the Palestinians are nothing but a bunch of flower gathering innocents, then CNN and MSNBC are for you.

Again, DMY. Believe whatever the h*ll you want. It’s not skin off my nose.

mjk on January 12, 2009 at 12:53 PM

You have no idea what I believe. But you are willing to make assumptions just because I would rather have fact-based reporting.

I concede that WOT coverage is shoddy at best as handled by the major networks. I tend to agree with JTP. That does not mean I want him reporting the news. He’d be great to have over for steak and beer. But calling this “reporting” is a load of crap. There are better citizen reporters commenting here at HotAir.

Your predetermination of beliefs I have not expressed gives clear insight into your need for affirmation from news reports.

***
Faraway, your threat is lame. If you’re going to talk tough, at least make it interesting. How about this? Buy a plane ticket to So Cal. I’ll pick you up at the airport (LAX, LB, John Wayne or Burbank) myself. First, I’ll buy you a drink and show you around. Then, we can sort out what’s talk and what’s real. You can show me just how big your “rockets” are.

That is a standing offer. I’m sure you will refuse. When you threaten a man, you better be ready to back it up. Chickenshit.

I think Bill has this correct. We need more honest reporting and less slanted propaganda. Bill, Michael Yon, Michael Totten, and Bill Ardolino manage to do the former — and we’re grateful for it. Joe should set his sights higher.

Yup, Ed, you are correct. Damn, it is painful to agree with Drywall on anything, but he finally makes sense on something. PJM stepped on their appendage big time on this one.

No we and our allies need to start winning wars that we fight not letting the media lose the wars for us. If that takes tooting our our horns then so be it.

Name one war in the last 40 years that the press has blessed as a good war? there are none because the press is anti-war. they will always side with the weaker army and since the USa is always the stronger the press will always be against the USA.

We need more people like JTP that says he is for us and our allies to win. And then writes and reports on those victories. How many americian soldiers lives would have been saved if we had people like JTP in the early stages of the Iraq war. How many soldiers would have been saved if we had a press that was pro americian. Would Yon’s words not been heeded faster if the knee jerk reaction to the press is that they want us to lose?

We need more honest reporting and less slanted propaganda.

So, Ed, you are saying Joe did dishonest reporting and was spouting propaganda?

You believe that a terror organization should have their side reported?

Is this April 1st?

Now if Hotair sent Allahpundit to cover Gaza, that would be worthwhile…

Enrique on January 12, 2009 at 2:30 PM

I wouldn’t wish that on poor AP.

Now if Hotair sent Allahpundit to cover Gaza, that would be worthwhile…

Being unbiased about this conflict requires you take Joe’s approach. Being even handed in this instance is immoral. The media’s and now your lack of courage and clarity is what requires Israel to be tortured, and consequently, Palestinians to be killed.