AOL columnist decries blogs
This is just hilarious. Tim Marman points out that in the latest issue of Giant, AOL Black Voices columnist Jawn Murray shares his feelings about blogs:
“Blogs are online diaries written by your average Joe — people who don’t work in the entertainment industry and have no formaly journalism training. They report arbitrary gossip, things they hear in hair salons and barbershops or read on message boards. They lift content and take photos from other Web sites without permission. Blogs should have a disclaimer that says, ‘For entertainment purposes only,’ because as entertaining as they may be, they are definitely not reputable news sources.”
This is amazing for so many reasons. Perhaps because Black Voices is run in the same division of AOL as we were (until we were moved to M&F). Or maybe just because TMZ is now among the world’s premiere sources for entertainment gossip news. Did we mention that it, like Engadget, is an AOL property? High fives all around for Jawn Murray.
Co-founder of


So Engadget isn’t just gossip that you heard at the hair salon? My world is getting turned upside-down…
This REALLY irritates me as well. As a member of the tech PR community (and amateur blogger :)), I can say that I spend as much time working with bloggers as I do with “traditional” members of the media. Blogging is especially important in the entertainment and technology fields since they are both so ever-changing. Not to mention that some of the brightest blogging-minds have extensive backgrounds in journalism, were educated at the nation’s top communication schools, and have full-time jobs writing for additional print/broadcast outlets. Sure, maybe some bloggers type up their thoughts while sitting on a futon in their underwear, but that’s not the majority. I think it’s time to join the 21st century.
Only the Apple gossip. I have someone stationed 24/7 at Steve Jobs’s haircutter. Obviously.
Sounds like someone’s jealous that everyone can have a shot at being a journalist now. Welcome to the Internet, we’re glad you could make it.