Journalists' blogs
Earlier this year, one of the Sacramento Bee's columnists began publishing a blog on sacbee.com. Daniel Weintraub is a political columnist, and his work often appears across the whole state (his column runs in the paper where I work). After Bee employees and members of the "Legislative Latino Caucus" complained about a Sept. 1 item published on Weintraub's blog, the Bee decided that his material will now go through an editor before being published on his blog.I have several thoughts about this. First of all, Weintraub is a prolific blogger and has been posting nearly every single day of the week for six months. Why was his blog never an issue until race got involved? Who initially made the decision to not edit the blog's content before it was published, and who has now changed that decision?
However, if Weintraub is being paid to blog, and the blog is being published as part of the Bee's Web site, I can see why it should go through an editor. If someone sues, the Bee will be named because the paper is hosting the blog. I imagine Weintraub could start his own blog somewhere else if he really wanted more freedom.
I hope editors are available around the clock to edit the blog, because if entries aren't posted shortly after being written, the whole point of a blog is lost.
Posted by Layla at 9:39 AM, September 28, 2003
— Comments —