“News is what the consensus of journalists determines it to be.”-BBC journalist, Andrew Marr
*****
I think it is time for a military blogger (milblogger) to get one of those snazzy George Polk Awards. That is the fair thing to do in my book, and it would be a recognition of the power of new media and it’s importance to the war effort.
Or do the folks at Long Island University only recognize writers/journalists that produce inaccurate and highly slanderous books about Blackwater? Or does Long Island University only recognize bloggers that are actually more main stream media, than blogger? For example, I don’t have 7 journalists working for me at Feral Jundi or pay salaries out to anyone. Hell, I don’t even have a editor or marketing director.
What I am saying is that it would be really cool to see a guy like Michael Yon get a George Polk Award either for journalism or for photography, or even both! (hint, hint)
And what defines important journalism in the eyes of the panel? The stuff that Michael has produced is absolutely incredible. Hell, the work done by today’s milbloggers is amazing, because they are the ones that are driving the discussion and invigorating the debate about the correct direction in this war. How about the guys at Small Wars Journal or even the Long War Journal for example? And what really puts these bloggers front and center is that they are usually soldiers, reporting from the front lines, and pouring their hearts out about what they think is the right direction. They research, they write, they speak the truth, and care about getting the war effort on the right footing.
I guess my point is, is that if this award actually means something in the world of journalism, then why are there not more awards being presented to bloggers, and especially milbloggers? We are the new media, and we are contributing greatly to the national and international discussion. We do speak truth to power and we are a part of the consensus, and it is time for the George Polk Award to recognize that milbloggers have contributed greatly to that consensus.
So this is what you guys can do. Submit, submit and submit. Get your best stuff out to these guys, and force them to acknowledge our existence. Let’s get one of our own up on that list of George Polk Awardees, and bring some recognition and respect upon those that actually deserve it.-Matt