The end of elite liberal media empires and rise of citizen journalism

Citizen Journalism Today

Welcome to Citizen Journalism Today. I am Mick Gregory, your host. There is a lot of buzz in the news today about the changing media landscape; the 20 percent profit margins of newspapers starting to dwindle, the mass migration of newspaper readers to the Web and the even faster exodus of advertising out of newsprint to Craigslist.org, E-Bay, Drudge Report, Google, Yahoo and other major new Web sites evolving every month.

I will update you on developments with expert reports on the media, the waves of buyouts and layoffs on the horizon and the new role citizen journalists have on investigative reporting, filling in the gaps “without fear or favor.”

The bias has been with us for decades in not only the A-section and editorials, but also in the business section, metro and even sports reporting. You see it every day from the elite press with their not-so-hidden agendas.

The Tour de France, “attack the Americans–cheaters;” Chelsea Football Club, “the Russian just buys the good players;” Barry Bonds, “He’s got to be disgraced, he ignores the sports writers!”

I’m a 20-year veteran of the mainstream media and have observed the dramatic shift in the powers that be, close up. My blog is here to record the details. Please join me in this brave new medium and add to the continuum. Click on my home page.

I’m stricktly a freelance writer now and making more money than I did working for Times Mirror or Hearst.

38 Comments

38 responses so far ↓

  • Pamela // May 31, 2006 at 6:14 pm

    If I were in the newspaper business I would be scrambling to find a new career!

  • Nikunj // September 12, 2006 at 2:21 am

    The concept of CITIZEN JOURNALISM is really picking up these days.. I am from India and there has been many initiatives taken on Citizen Journalism in India. The closest which falls in line with the concept in totality is http://www.merinews.com. Check it out.. may be one day, initiatives like this can change the way news is produced, distributed and consumed.

  • Mic // September 12, 2006 at 9:11 am

    Thanks Nikunj, I will check it out. It takes an educated community to understand Citizen Journalisim. I’m very happy to see India is advancing and your economy is booming. See more at http://sadbastards.wordpress.com.

  • Carol // September 21, 2006 at 8:28 am

    Just found your site and I love it. It’s now in my “must read” favorites daily.

  • Mic // September 21, 2006 at 8:33 am

    Thanks Carol! It’s a new site, only about a month old and has 6,000 page views thanks to citizens like you!

  • Dan // October 23, 2006 at 11:28 pm

    We need more sites like this. I found this from a link from Michael Savage.

  • Greg // October 24, 2006 at 10:39 am

    Thanks Dan,
    We have to thank Michael Savage for his Citgo boycott. He’s one of the few in the media with the guts to explain what is going on behind the “curtains.” I have been a long-time fan of Michael’s, I remember the first show I heard of his coming back from skiing in Tahoe. It was on a Sunday afternoon and he was on a middle-of-the-road station, KGO.

  • Mike // November 16, 2006 at 10:28 am

    You should know that your web site was at the very top of a Google Search when I typed in the words “Citgo” and “Petro Express”. Kudos to whowever manages your web site.

    I found your article intersting and informative on the topic, thanks for posting it and, like I said, for getting it to the “top” of the pile.

    One request, can you put a date at the beginning or end of articles so the reader knows for sure how current they are? I see the calendar on the side, but I am not sure that is accurate to what is written.

    Otherwise, great job!

    Thanks!

    Mike

  • Mick // November 16, 2006 at 11:07 am

    Thanks for the nice remarks and suggestion. I will do that. I often update posts, but I can just jot down when the update was made. I can assure you that the Petro Express article is current. I wrote that just about three weeks ago.

    The Citgo/Chavez story is picking up steam.

  • vimto1 // November 21, 2006 at 3:46 pm

    Hi Mick vimto callin’ . If you want some illustrations contact me on vimtotoons@myway.com and outline the reqest and give a timescale. If it is within my ability I will do it.

    Kind regards indeed!

  • Mick // November 30, 2006 at 11:16 pm

    Vick, I loved your Britney Spears cartoon. You are timely and funny! I believe the cartoon project on updating Hyack’s work would be too complicated and tedious for you. Keep up the two and tree panel cartoons!

    Here’s an idea– How about a Britney Smears airplane seat cushion for sale on E-Bay?

  • Keith // December 1, 2006 at 8:05 am

    Mick:
    Just some advice from one professional to another …
    When I first converted my e-journal to a blog, I was given the friendly advice to use the “More” feature in my posts. Reason: One can surf through posted articles more easily and ready the rest of the story when one chooses.
    I am thrilled that someone has taken the time and interest to expose the bias media and non-objective reporting in the major media sources of the U.S. (and the rest of the world), and value this blog to be linked and shared with my readers.
    And your coined phrase of bloggers as “Citizen Journalism” is right on the mark!
    Good blog and I commend your insight and fortitude to fight against misinformation, just as the motto at my e-journal is: “Searching for Truth in a Sea of Misinformation” — you have provided a guiding light for Americans to keep in touch with reality and give those who have been duped over the years the ammunition of information that results in knowledge — and knowledge is power.
    Great blog and I salute you as a fellow American and “citizen journalist”.
    Sincerely, Keith A. Lehman, editor of Lighthouse Patriot Journal.

  • angel // December 1, 2006 at 10:40 am

    I follow the new blog journalists and in my opinion, End of Elite Media Empires and Light House Patriot have been the most accurate on the Citgo issue.

  • Julianne // December 1, 2006 at 2:20 pm

    Hi Mick, A friend sent me your blog address and I am appreciating the many articles. What is your media background that you mention? It would be nice to more about where you are “coming from”.
    Thanks for what you do!

    Thanks for the nice words, Jullieanne. I am a freelance writer now, working primarily for Fortune 500 companies on communications projects, i.e. “crisis management,” and annual reports. In addition to a journalisim background, I have an MBA from the University of Dallas. I have worked in major media as a writer, feature editor, and Marketing Communications manager for some of the top media companies in the country: Hearst, Times-Mirror, and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. I’ve also been involved in political campaigns and have seen first hand the serious war of smear campaigns run by the leftests who dominate the media. I’m excited about citizen journalists making a difference. Are you, Jullieanne? Set up your own free blog here at wordpress.com. Join the revolution.

  • Quran Bible // December 3, 2006 at 1:06 pm

    After reading your introduction now I know you better. BTW newspaper to me is waste of paper because news on Internet come instantly and when you look at the news in morning papers all the news stories are stale. I will read your post some other time and will comment.

  • Squirrelly Court Case in Chicago « Lighthouse Patriot Journal // December 9, 2006 at 1:41 pm

    [...] Those readers who have been around long enough may remember that the Lighthouse Patriot Journal (2001) (Lighthouse Journal (2000) aka Keifer’s Korner (1999) was a website with a series of web pages, all according to the subject material at hand: Kritter Korner, On Camera, On Stage, Weird Science and Court Jesters. The latter page concerned advocacy for judiciary reform. Now, with the advent of the Blog, the reader just chooses categories/subjects from a list and has access to the posted articles — “citizen journalism” as Mick Gregory calls it. Information organization is better, but some readers miss the photo/graphics, but don’t miss the time it took to load the page . [...]

  • Anonymous // February 7, 2007 at 12:45 pm

    Young Indian research Journalists starts Citizen Journalism In India

    A community news portal http://www.citizenxpress.com
    has been laucnhed in india by group of young indian research Journalists in december 2006.

    The community new portal http://www.citizenxpress.com is research work of ABC Media Research and Development Center, the research wing of ABC News Network Private limited .This portal is fully dedicated to the cause of citizen involved journalism popularly called CITIZEN JOURNALISM. All news and information have their sources in citizens. They create news and information or witness the news but they have no relevance in news gathering, processing and publishing system of contempory media. The citizen journalism is the voices of all those citizens who are creating or witnessing news and information around them, the citizenxpress is an open platform for all those citizens.

    Now a day’s fascinating proverb is being engineered i.e. for all (4 all).like education for all, health for all, justice for all etc but participation by all is no where in their agenda. This gives impressions that all who want to do some thing for all still not willing to relinquish their position of givers. Which always reflect in their actions vice versa. So there is urgent need of a platform, where all will act as givers as well as takers. Flow of knowledge can be from either sides depending on the need and requirements of situation.
    http://citizenxpress.com/
    please visit it and if found worthy pleases
    share with other.

  • Mainstream Media - It's Unobjectivity and Propaganda Tactics « Lighthouse Patriot Journal // May 20, 2007 at 12:43 pm

    [...] wide range of information available and at the same time has opened a world of what Mick Gregory at The End of Elite Media Empire [and Rise of Citizen Journalism) calls “citizen journalism” – commonly known as [...]

  • taxpayingvet // June 11, 2007 at 5:39 pm

    Mick,
    Love the site; it’s good to know there are other like minded people out there who aren’t afraid to think rationally.

  • Mick // June 11, 2007 at 9:12 pm

    Thanks Taxpayingvet. You are welcome to post here. Do you have a blog?

  • taxpayingvet // June 13, 2007 at 9:57 am

    No Blog; I hope that’s ok. I’m not much of a writer and travel on business so I mostly just like to surf for more information that the mainstream likes to leave out.

  • Mick // June 13, 2007 at 8:07 pm

    That’s fine. Your comments are well stated. Keep up the good fight.

  • Lisa Coffey // June 26, 2007 at 9:47 am

    Mick, thank you sincerely for your
    interest in James Patterson’s and my
    Title VII lawsuit, which you recently
    expressed on Ruth’s blog site.

    Please feel free to contact me anytime
    at LisaCoffey01@aol.com or 226-9709.
    Would love to meet for lunch sometime
    if you’re free.

    Sincerely, Lisa Coffey

  • Rhonda Fleming // July 6, 2007 at 10:26 pm

    Please feel free to contact me, i am more than willing to expose the lies that still remain in Durham NC!
    Rhonda Fleming
    http://myspace.com/justice4jack

    Rhonda, I think your best bet is to get the word out like you are doing. Hopefully someone will come forward.

  • wordlywise // July 8, 2007 at 8:40 am

    Hi Mick,
    Thanks for your kind comments on my blog.
    Like you, I too have worked with major media companies here in India, as editor, writer and also managed marketing communications. I am happy to meet you. Yes, citizen journalism is the way forward. And I will do whatever I can to contribute to the movement.
    Stay well!

  • Doodee // February 2, 2008 at 2:28 pm

    Thanks for sharing

  • rooneeicese // February 9, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:

  • Jeff // February 15, 2008 at 8:28 am

    Mick,

    Great blog. I stumbled on it following the Bernie Ward story. When I saw he was a SF talk show host, I assumed he was a lib, but wanted to make sure. Since this has been going on since December, I pretty much knew my assumption would be a fact, as a conservative would’ve been drawn-and-quartered across the LSM. Keep up the good work. I’ve bookmarked your home page so “I’ll be back!”

  • waltzingaustralia // February 21, 2008 at 7:02 pm

    Great site. Not only is the info solid, but the writing is good — and the fact that you know that medium is the singular of media does my heart almost as much good as your knowing the the NYT is liberal.

    Also love the links — makes one feel the truth has allies. Thanks.

  • Mick // February 21, 2008 at 8:22 pm

    Thank you very much Aussie girl! I’m going to check out your site, too. Thanks for visiting, I broke 200,000 today, with 6,275 hits.

  • waltzingaustralia // February 21, 2008 at 9:27 pm

    Congratulations on breaking 200,000! Numbers like that are encouraging, as well. Must be at least a few people out there paying attention.

  • citizenwells // February 24, 2008 at 7:24 pm

    Very glad to find your blog. It seems we are on the same page.
    Keep up the good work.

  • citizenwells // March 7, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    I have a link to your blog on mine. My blog is fairly new but I believe it has decent content that I will continue to add to. If you wish to link to mine, I wouldn’t object.
    Citizen Wells

    Citizen Wells, I like your logo. I will do the same with your link. You are one of the new independent citizen journalists, welcome aboard.

  • citizenwells // March 13, 2008 at 10:37 am

    Thanks!
    Illigitimi non carborundum.

  • Assemakanna // March 22, 2008 at 10:41 am

    Snx for you job!
    It has very much helped me!

  • Kenny from Ct. // March 31, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    Great site. I just found you. Guess I,m a little slow at this game. I,ll spread the word!

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