Friday, March 28, 2008

Laying Down With Lambs


"You guys should have said more", AJC Interactivity Manager Lea Donosky said slyly.

"It's not as much fun when we don't have anyone to fight. Maybe next time they can get the GPB people here", I replied.

Thursday night's Atlanta Press Club panel on Ethics and New Media was so full of peace and love it was surprising people weren't twining flowers in each other's hair.

Some among the gathered bloggerati remain cynical but considering merely nine months ago in a similar setting we were called "entertainers" the positive attitude of the panel springs hope. Only time will tell if it remain eternal.

An AJC manager explaining how new media is about the conversation! A corporate blogger talking about communities setting standards! A GSU professor acting like a free license radical! Talk of trust and credibility from the Equifax guy!

A sure sign of the changing times was the table of new media "renegades" frequently nodding in agreement instead of growling with displeasure. Of course there were the moments where the jeans and t-shirt clad began to respond to people directly without aid of the proffered microphone. Sometimes we just can't help our instincts. The desire to be heard is just too overwhelming.

Later at Manuel's one the panelist told me he walked over to talk to us after the event but he felt like the guy in the suit trying to fit in. He said we were a tough group.

I admitted we were. But once you to know us we aren't nearly that scary.

Pass the posies. God knows, kumbaya might be next.

7 comments:

Sara said...

Cynical?

Rusty said...

Tough group, LOL. I was wearing khaki pants and a collared shirt. Have they never been in an office before?

I even left my "I skullfucked a corpse and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" t-shirt at home.

Blackjackk said...

What - no chance to tell the mainstream media that they have oatmeal for guts?

griftdrift said...

Ahhhhh were we ever so young and passionate?

Grayson: Atlanta, GA said...

Jeez. Guess we should have worn our war paint and scalps on our belts. What the hell do they want us to do? 'Round us up, stick us in an exhibit and charge admission to those brave enough to go a 'round? I'm proud we had the good sense not to give 'em the freak show they were expecting to get. The lack of stimulus in their own little worlds is not my responsibility.

Anonymous said...

Love you guys. Start a riot next time.

Amber Rhea said...

I wouldn't exactly call it peace and love.

I think my view is more along the lines of Sara's and Shelby's. I don't think the "old media" folks should be given kudos just for not being 100% offensive. I guess I just have a long memory... I don't know. Yeah, I can hold a grudge, but sometimes that's useful.

Not that I'm out-and-out *angry* about anything. Far from it (as I said last night at Manuel's). I'm just... *cautious*. And highly suspicious. Which I think is a good thing.

And yeah, we're a tough crowd... but like Helen Thomas said tonight, "You don't have to praise a reporter, they're doing their job & need to do it better."