Levi Sumagaysay, who writes Good Morning Silicon Valley, the long-running tech blog of the San Jose Mercury News, interviewed me about the book and the project. Here’s an excerpt:
GMSV: You write in Mediactive: “There’s no conflict between having a world view and doing great journalism.” Do you think people understand that? Or has the myth been pounded into their heads that there needs to be two “balanced” sides in every story?
Gillmor: I hope that we’re making progress toward the reality that it’s not balanced to give equal weight to two sides when one side is lying. People understand that’s not the way the world is, that that’s just bogus. [But I see more] journalists pointing out outright lies. It’s hard for them to do it, but it’s a good thing. They don’t want to be regarded as partisan. I’d rather be falsely called a partisan than correctly called a dupe.
Read the full interview here.
Meanwhile, the Boston Phoenix blog features a crossposting of a long Q&A I did with former Phoenix media critic Dan Kennedy, a professor of journalism at Boston University, at his Media Nation site. Dan generously advises:
[Y]ou should all read “Mediactive.” It’s edgier and less optimistic than “We the Media,” but Gillmor has lost none of his passion for urging readers, viewers and listeners – the “former audience,” as Gillmor dubbed them in his first book – to get up off their seats and demand that the media be held accountable.
Here’s a link to the Phoenix piece, and to Dan’s original Media Nation posting.
Many thanks to both Dan and Levi.