Thursday, December 16, 2004

Updated: Oregonian blocks adverts, gets criticized

Here, a media critic notes the Oregonian refuses to permit an on-line selling service to advertise in the Oregonian.

The web presence of the Oregonian itself is very interesting. The site, like those of other Newhouse newspapers and most of their magazines (but not, interestingly enough, WIRED, is so frightfully complex that viewing it with a PDA is well nigh impossible. What content is allowed on line is only indexed for seven days, so if a story isn't linked by then, it's very tedious/spendy to find it.

But, then, freedom of the press is limited to those who own one. (A. J. Liebling)

Update
Conincidentally, Fred On Everything explains why the Oregonian is fighting so hard to hang on to their classifieds. BTW, Fred would qualify as the continental Curmudgeon Laureate if we had one, with views several Astronomical Units beyond what is politically fashionable... but he's often right.

2 comments:

J. said...

Lord! The Oregonian has every right to decide who it will allow to sell advertising on its site. The matter has absolutely nothing to do with the First Amendment since no state action is involved. Where do people get ignorant ideas like yours?

Oh, I see. Fred on Everything. The guy is only the source of some of the most bigoted drivel in the blogosphere. If stupidity was a crime, he would be behind bars. With sources like that, no wonder you're clueless. Any more white supremacists you like to recommend? David Duke? Matt Hale? Michael Hill? Go ahead. Knock yourself out.

John Bartley K7AAY said...

The previous poster is using one of the debate tactics I learned in J-school: Assert I say something I didn't. The 'straw man' in the case was the assertion that I said a First Amendment issue was involved.

The careful reader will re-read my posting, and find I did not say, or even hint, anything about a First Amendment violation.

Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one, which is a simple recognition that Money Talks. Fortunately, we don't have to listen.

The anonymous poster 'J' also tries to slam me with 'racism', whatever that is, for having the temerity to note Fred on Everything was spot on when discussing mass media and political correctness. I wish to commend to he, she, or it, as well as to the studio audience at home this recent Boondocks comic on this very subject.

Then, go uptown and ask any old time King resident to read Fred on Everything, then ask them for their opinion about whether Fred's a racist, or a realist. Go ahead. Ask.

BTW: Ask any friend of mine for my signature line on Republicanism, and you will find they tell you I remain a registered Republican so I can vote against David Duke *twice* (Primary and General). This nanny-state, Poverty-Pimp approach to menting the evils of racism has drug this country down, and all members of the Human Race with it. {/rant}