Comments on: Everyone Please Read-We Are Bloggers, Not Journalists

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:17:11 +0000

Wow, crazy shit. Good points Ryan.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:36:25 +0000

This is the original article

http://www.jesusalvarado.com/2008/01/27/ziganda-teniais-que-estar-todos-muertos-como-puerta/

By: Isaiah

Isaiah — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:12:19 +0000

Also, do you have a link to Alvarado’s original article?

By: Isaiah

Isaiah — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:11:15 +0000

First off, Ryan, that’s a crazy situation. I’m sure if Ziganda really did say what he is quoted as saying, he’s very contrite; things are said in the heat of battle that aren’t really meant, not that it excuses such an awful statement. (I am also unaware of Ziganda’s history of outbursts, or lack thereof). I, for one, am very glad to hear of this story and I thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Second, bloggers have a duty, like anyone else, to discuss their topics in non-defamatory ways. I’m no more allowed to make up a story about Ramon Calderon mugging beggar children on the streets of Madrid and circulating it as if it’s a real news item than I would be were I a real live journalist. Obviously I’m not that and I think this is where the legal lines get blurred. Since you know I’m not trustworthy, can I just make stuff up? If you read many college football blogs, you’ve probably run across Every Day Should Be Saturday (EDSBS), which makes its living off of making up random stuff about various members of the NCAAF world. But they’re a humor site, really, so they get by with making up nonsense because it’s satire. Michelle Malkin cites references in making up nonsense. So does Matt Drudge. And, I’m sure, many liberal bloggers do too.

I like that I’m allowed to blog without anyone breathing down my neck (not that I do anything interesting to The Man), but there are, of course, limits necessary. In extreme cases, we’re no longer dealing with sports, with games played by grownups, but rather politics, race, gender, sexuality, etc, and the issues you’ve brought up become far more important. (To me Jesus Alvarado is doing nothing other than reporting what was seen and heard by others on a sporting field, but I don’t know the tensions that lie between Sevilla and Osasuna)

Spain’s laws may also be very different than American laws — after all, the NYT yesterday published this, “American law is, by international standards, a series of innovations and exceptions,” so it’s hard to compare American legal precedence with that of the EU and Spain in particular — but I can’t imagine a country like Spain doesn’t have the laws in place to prevent journalists (and bloggers) from being attacked for merely reporting what they heard. That’s the point of journalism. Without that, we have no Watergate…And who doesn’t love themselves a Watergate now and then?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:28:14 +0000

I do believe him Isa, I do. That’s why I wrote this article so people would know whats going on with the whole thing.

By: Isa

Isa — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:11:50 +0000

Ufff….i´m wishing all this finishes.
If he has always said the truth, in this case….why not?In his articles, he tells his perceptions and informations, but,i insist, from the truth, so now, i have to believe him, don´t you?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:09:05 +0000

But Ian, I am unaware if he actually heard it himself..i emailed him earlier today to ask him whats up, but I haven’t heard back from him.

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:35:09 +0000

I see nothing at all wrong with Jesus reporting what he personally heard at the match, especially with witnesses able to back him up. In fact, he’s doing exactly what bloggers are best at – reporting a story that the mainstream media might be too financially and politically compromised to report. As long as it’s true, and it seems likely that it is, it’s a great blog post.

In this particular case, he’s a blogger and a journalist, since he’s reporting an original story through a blog.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:39:55 +0000

Inara,

This is what it said

Esas palabras fueron pronunciadas en la noche de ayer por Ziganda, entrenador de Osasuna, en el momento en que Iturralde señala penalti tras tocar Javi García el balón con la mano en el área en la pugna con Chevantón.

No me invento nada.

Hay testigos. Muchos testigos.

Ahora…¿qué es lo que hay que hacer?

Translation: These words were said last night by Ziganda, Osasuna’s coach, when Iturralde called a penalty after Javi Garcia touched the ball with his hand during the struggle with Chevanton.

I didn’t make anything up.

There are witnesses. A lot of witnesses.

Now, what should they do?

That’s the translation from the article.

By: Inara

Inara — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:40:43 +0000

Yeah, but Jesus wasn’t making anything up, right? He was reporting on what he was told by several people. It’s not like he woke up one morning and decided to a speech bubble next to Ziganda’s mouth.

Did Jesus have a disclaimer anywhere, like “Many people were reporting that Ziganda said this” as opposed to “This is what Ziganda said”?