Boob tube

I am fascinated by the ongoing drama of citizen journalism. I love the idea of a conglomerate of writers tossing out ideas moderatly laced with facts and overflowing the communal fount of public opinion.


I admit a small part of me wants to partake. I started this blog where I spout my opinions on a variety of issues for which I have little personal information. And I even went so far as to add my name to the list of writers for Assignment Zero and to apply for a minor part-time writing gig at 451 Press.

That's as far as my nerve and slightly inflated look-at-me-I'm-a-good-writer ego took me. You'd think after more than a decade of doing this for my JOB that I had a little more confidence, but alas ...

I've always thought that the citizen journalism trend was devoted to the written word. I'm biased that way, I guess. I assume all things "journalism" must involve writing somehow. But I read this great article on Vanity Fair today about how YouTube has positively or negatively affected the upcoming presidential election already.

I can claim my place in the ranks of YouTube junkies, but I always assumed that most of it was for fun. Years of researching and writing makes you slightly skeptical. It never occuried to me that people might watch those little snippets and make voting decisions based on them. It gives me a whole new respect for the power of free speech, or rather, free movie posting Web sites. (insert music appropriate for wiping misty eyes.)

Still, there is nothing quite like a well-turned phrase to get the heart pumping, such as this example from the Vanity Fair article.

It may appear that I am singling out Republicans as ripe specimens of YouTube boobery. It's true. I am. I wish them all heartwarming unsuccess.

It reinvigorates my desire to partake in this next wave of journalism. Maybe I will go volunteer to interview an artist who is involved in the crowdsourcing movement.

Or maybe I'll just watch old episoides of "Soap" instead. Bert cracks me up.