Comments on: The blogging cover-up

CNET News.com's Charles Cooper says the upcoming political conventions are setting themselves up for embarrassment.

It's mainly the fault of the media

Blogging would NOT be the problem it is if it weren't for the media interest generated.

Regrettably, it's the constant need for sensationalist stories that drives the media to keep searching for the next piece of destructive gossip and irrelevant, life-destroying trash that anyone with an ounce of integrity knows to be totally false and unworthy of attention.

[jeroethel]

agitprop

"Agitprop" seems to be the new glamor word for 2004. While the broad definition is simply "propaganda", the more subtle connotation is "communist propraganda". While it is always fun to learn new words, I am inclined to suggest that your use of the term was not entirely accurate.

[lodurr]

Commie? No, it's just subtlety of langauge

Your point is well taken, to an extent: A term like "agitprop" can have huge negative value in certain contexts. Say, for example, if Rush Limbaugh referred to something from, say, American Samizdat as "Agitprop", it would be straight shorthand for saying "they're commies." If American Samizdat referred to a WSJ OpEd as "aditprop", they're saying "these guys are as morally bankrupt at the commies were."

Cooper's not a partisan flack, he's a tech journalist, and believe it or not the general standard of literacy is higher in that population than in mainstream journalism. So I suspect his usage is the second, more subtle kind.

Similarly, I've often referred to Libertarians, supply-side theorists, and socially-conservative Republicans as "fellow travellers", to drive home the idea that they were enablers for the more fundamental ultra-pro-business message of the Republican power-core in much the same way that Socialists were fellow-travellers for soviet-style international communism in the 20s-40s.

And hey, while we're on teh subject: Anybody remember that great '80s art-pop/funk/punk band from Poughkeepsie, AgitPop?

[charlie cooper]

agitprop

Dear "Unknown,"

While the term has its origin in the Communist movement, agitprop now more commonly refers to propagandizing and agitating.

[John Kuzak]

agitating

http://www.analogstereo.com/mazda_truck_b_series_owners_manual.htm

[sheilawash]

The Blogging Cover-Up

Because web logs have done so much and have a solid place in our culture, it is now a cottage industry. The fact that the power minders are now looking to capitalize is evidence of that.
To control a take over by the powers, the community of bloggers have to launch their own counter measures. This horse is out of the barn,
so the challenge is how do we manage it.
Can there be some kind of organized offense, such as, "keep the last light of unfettered democracy, blogging, burning today - pick the opening dates of both conventions. Something like honk your horn use in other campaigns. This however, would be formated in the internet.

Thanks for the info.
Sheila

Blogs = Where I get my news from.

http://www.dailykos.com/ and other blogs listed here is where I get my news from.

Not sure if Steve actually emailed you but just in case he did not, it would do you good to read it Mr. Cooper. http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2004/07/bloggers-in-boston.html