Comments on: The CBS interview http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/ by Jeff Jarvis Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:31:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Joseph F Dunphy http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-349380 Joseph F Dunphy Mon, 07 May 2007 03:08:57 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-349380 As is often the case, the interview subject is far better than the interviewer. In fact, the interviewer seems to be asking questions that are anti-democratic--there is an urge to regulate bloggers who criticized Imus--and thus upset some commercial interests that affected Viacom/CBS/CBS radio, which happened to be in bed also with GE/NBC/MS-NBC-TV. If it were up to me, I would have cut out the interviewer altogether, and just lead off with a question on the newscrawl, asking the interviewee what he though about the Don Imus controversy, and let him provide his point of view. The interviewee was clearly an expert; having an inexperienced interviewer sit there and ask stupid, self-interested questions that barely conceal the CBS network agenda, is worse than a waste of time--it is a continued abuse of the public trust and airwaves. Remember, CBS radio hired Imus to insult people--the contract reflects CBS's corporate policy--something the "reporter"/shill did not touch on. The interview misses the point entirely. The entity that needs regulation is CBS and the major communications conglomerates. It is clear that the media giants are annoyed that they do not own the copyrights to salable material, and would like the regulators to do them a favor and hand it over to the publishing giants, and, by the way, give the networks the "right" to censor their critics. This style of fascism should have vanished with the defeat of Mussolini and Hitler; but the urge to run things like a bananna republic looms large at CBS and its fellow-travellers in the corporate media. One reason why one writes on corporate media websites at one's peril. As is often the case, the interview subject is far better than the interviewer. In fact, the interviewer seems to be asking questions that are anti-democratic–there is an urge to regulate bloggers who criticized Imus–and thus upset some commercial interests that affected Viacom/CBS/CBS radio, which happened to be in bed also with GE/NBC/MS-NBC-TV. If it were up to me, I would have cut out the interviewer altogether, and just lead off with a question on the newscrawl, asking the interviewee what he though about the Don Imus controversy, and let him provide his point of view. The interviewee was clearly an expert; having an inexperienced interviewer sit there and ask stupid, self-interested questions that barely conceal the CBS network agenda, is worse than a waste of time–it is a continued abuse of the public trust and airwaves. Remember, CBS radio hired Imus to insult people–the contract reflects CBS’s corporate policy–something the “reporter”/shill did not touch on.
The interview misses the point entirely. The entity that needs regulation is CBS and the major communications conglomerates. It is clear that the media giants are annoyed that they do not own the copyrights to salable material, and would like the regulators to do them a favor and hand it over to the publishing giants, and, by the way, give the networks the “right” to censor their critics. This style of fascism should have vanished with the defeat of Mussolini and Hitler; but the urge to run things like a bananna republic looms large at CBS and its fellow-travellers in the corporate media. One reason why one writes on corporate media websites at one’s peril.

]]> By: Roy http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348833 Roy Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:26:10 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348833 Brilliant, Jeff. Grammar aside, once you try to regulate language, you regulate humanity and damn it to hell. Brilliant, Jeff. Grammar aside, once you try to regulate language, you regulate humanity and damn it to hell.

]]> By: Charlie http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348694 Charlie Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:10:43 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348694 Logic: Try some today. Nice work, Jeff. Logic: Try some today.

Nice work, Jeff.

]]> By: paul http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348691 paul Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:26:02 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348691 Nice job Jeff, he asked you the same question over and over.... Nice job Jeff, he asked you the same question over and over….

]]> By: Headline: CBS opposed to free speech and an open internet! http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348666 Headline: CBS opposed to free speech and an open internet! Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:46:01 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348666 [...] Check out the line of questioning followed by the CBS reporter in this video as he interviews Jeff Jarvis. As he suggests, the internet clearly promotes some dangerous, unmediated “free [...] [...] Check out the line of questioning followed by the CBS reporter in this video as he interviews Jeff Jarvis. As he suggests, the internet clearly promotes some dangerous, unmediated “free [...]

]]> By: Jeff Jarvis on the brouhaha at Almost As Good As Chocolate http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348589 Jeff Jarvis on the brouhaha at Almost As Good As Chocolate Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:27:09 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348589 [...] a perfect example — he was on CBS being interviewed about the Don Imus brouhaha and more specifically the reaction in the blog world. Apparently there [...] [...] a perfect example — he was on CBS being interviewed about the Don Imus brouhaha and more specifically the reaction in the blog world. Apparently there [...]

]]> By: Mike NYC http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348588 Mike NYC Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:13:44 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348588 Nice interview. Most of the questions were interesting, and Jeff, of course, answered them smartly. I've haven't been following this issue much, but I'm confused by everyone's sarcasm here. Though I COMPLETELY agree with Jeff on the answers to the questions posed, I still think they were good questions to ask. It is ironic that the YouTube commenters on the Imus issue are even more racist that Imus himself. I don't think those comments should be censored, but I don't think CBS is making up a story by pointing this out. I'm sorry it didn't make it onto the evening newscast (it still is only 22 minutes, right?), but I'm glad CBS published it online. Nice interview. Most of the questions were interesting, and Jeff, of course, answered them smartly.

I’ve haven’t been following this issue much, but I’m confused by everyone’s sarcasm here. Though I COMPLETELY agree with Jeff on the answers to the questions posed, I still think they were good questions to ask. It is ironic that the YouTube commenters on the Imus issue are even more racist that Imus himself. I don’t think those comments should be censored, but I don’t think CBS is making up a story by pointing this out.

I’m sorry it didn’t make it onto the evening newscast (it still is only 22 minutes, right?), but I’m glad CBS published it online.

]]> By: Mike http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348584 Mike Sun, 22 Apr 2007 02:03:48 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348584 Dude, you are never, ever, ever again going to be on TV. How dare you be so logical, practical, and uncontroversial. And how dare you not presume to speak for all 70 million bloggers? That was not what we expect from our "talent". We want hate. We want controversy. If you can;t be extremist,a larmist, illogical and nutty, that is it, you are iout. Actually, I am not sure that is sarcasem :) Nice work. You were so logical, one wonders if it can kill this whole silly, sorry story. Dude, you are never, ever, ever again going to be on TV.

How dare you be so logical, practical, and uncontroversial. And how dare you not presume to speak for all 70 million bloggers? That was not what we expect from our “talent”. We want hate. We want controversy. If you can;t be extremist,a larmist, illogical and nutty, that is it, you are iout.

Actually, I am not sure that is sarcasem :)

Nice work. You were so logical, one wonders if it can kill this whole silly, sorry story.

]]> By: Harry Forbes http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348583 Harry Forbes Sun, 22 Apr 2007 01:04:47 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348583 i agree completely. A boffo performance, Jeff. Of course you can't expect to draw extremely difficult or intelligent questions from CBS News. i agree completely. A boffo performance, Jeff.

Of course you can’t expect to draw extremely difficult or intelligent questions from CBS News.

]]> By: Shripriya http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348573 Shripriya Sat, 21 Apr 2007 23:14:00 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348573 Ah, that was just brilliant. Perfect. Very nice job, Jeff! Ah, that was just brilliant. Perfect. Very nice job, Jeff!

]]> By: Rosenblum http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348542 Rosenblum Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:32:08 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/04/21/the-cbs-interview/#comment-348542 Free Speech!!! Hoo boy!!! Too dangerous... to those at CBS at least.... "Your majesty... your majesty. The people are revolting!" "Revolting... I think they're disgusting!" Free Speech!!! Hoo boy!!! Too dangerous… to those at CBS at least….

“Your majesty… your majesty. The people are revolting!”
“Revolting… I think they’re disgusting!”

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