City October 27, 2009 11:47 AM

Spree Hosts Panel of Bloggers, Public Welcome

Spree Hosts Panel of Bloggers, Public Welcome

Buffalo Spree Publishing, Inc. will present a special panel discussion, "Journalism on the brink: When the daily paper becomes the daily blog, who wins and who loses?" on November 5th, at 7PM, in the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The panel is a spin-off of a Spree article in the November 2009 issue entitled "WNY's churning urn of online news and comment: good, bad, or just confusing?" by Spree associate editor Christopher Schobert. Spree is billing the discussion as "a rousing dialogue between some of Western New York's most notable and important online news figures." 

Confirmed panelists include:


      - Sharon Bailey, politics blogger (So Sharon)

      - Alan Bedenko, a veteran blogger (Buffalo Pundit)

      - Elena Buscarino,  editor and author of Buffalo Rising Online

      - Brian Connolly, web editor for the Buffalo News

      - Jim Heaney, blogger and columnist for the Buffalo News

      - Geoff Kelly, editor and blogger for Artvoice

      - Newell Nussbaumer, co-founder of Buffalo Rising Online and a blog veteran

      - Ben Siegel, editor for Block Club

      - Marc Odien and Chris Smith, co-founders of WNYMedia.net


The invitation states the following: The issues presented in the article and the panel, reach far beyond Western New York. Should online content be free? Are news blogs "fair and balanced," and is that even desirable? What do blogs and online news sites mean for both the reader, and the writer? Can local news sites complement each other, or are they invariably opposed? 

This event is in cooperation with the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College and Buffalo Spree Publishing.

Look under the "web extras" tab for extended interviews.

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I can't wait for the fight

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Hi BRO friends,

Could you change your header? We are not just inviting bloggers to the discussion, though that is what the article was about. Anyone can attend this.

I understand why that header is there, but we don't want people to think that they need to be bloggers to attend.

Thanks!

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Back in the days of two newspapers, most subscribers were able to see two diverse points of view; a resonable concept at that time.
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Minus the Courier Express, a monopoly of one was created that succeeded in shaping public opinion. Most subscribers were working-class families too busy to have the time or inclination to change that.
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And although there have been three TV stations since the 1950s, there was a time when they all used to report the same news, and they did that in 15 minutes flat! And they did that minus commentators' personal opinions.
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The same three TV stations still report the same news but, they stretch it out with having to return later to having to listen to jibber jabber and much repetition so as to make a part-time job into a full-timer.
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And the commercials, oh, the commercials! We actually wore out a remote muting the commercials!!!
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Today, just the local newspaper alone not only has the paper editions where it is possible to receive one version at home and a different one on the way to the office, BUT, the local newspaper also has at least four, count them, four, different online news sites!
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The local news stations are both on the TV and on online and on the radio and running in competition with other stations including CNN and Fox News and this one specializing in this and that one specializing in that, and on and on.
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And today, mashed into all those other sources of everything under the sun, are too many bloggers. Bloggers own their sites. They are not subject to approval or sensor or limits of tantrum.
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Trying to pick one or three bloggers to follow does get confusing.
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But, in truth, most people still choose the local newspaper combined with a favorite local news station and either CNN or Fox or both.
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Insofar as choosing one blog site over another though, it's a nogo. Most people have no idea that online Web logs are excited with becoming numero uno.

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'But, in truth, most people still choose the local newspaper combined with a favorite local news station and either CNN or Fox or both.'

No, that's not true but it probably doesn't matter to you.

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If what Crisa meant is most people in the Buffalo area, she's probably 2/3 correct but it probably doesn't matter to you.

Most people read the newspaper if the Buffalo News's 68% market penetration (paper + web) is accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if a majority here regularly watch at least some part of a local newscast. There's probably a lot of overlap with the 68% who read BN.

Well less than a majority of Americans watch any cable news, so she's mistaken on that part.

replied to PaulBuffalo
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Whatever, I'm aware of Buffalo's reading habits as it pertains to the Buffalo News because the elderly population keeps it afloat. We've all discussed that here too many times, but thank you for acting like Wikipedia.

replied to whatever
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Crisa's quote was mostly right, despite your rude dismissal of it.

replied to PaulBuffalo
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Whatever, among Buffalo's elderly Crisa's statement has validity. However, young people are certainly not picking up a copy of the Buffalo News and watching Charlie Gibson. On a regional and national level, her comment has even less accuracy.

replied to whatever
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Among the full 18+ public in Buffalo, she seems correct in the first 2 of the 3 things in your quote from her that you insultingly dissed. Only her 3rd (cable news) part looks mistaken.

2 of 3 means her statement is mostly correct. Her full comment looks to be about Buffalo (Courier Express, etc.) - not national, not global, and she didn't segment it to any age demographic at all.

replied to PaulBuffalo
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Whatever, I didn't dismiss her in my original comment -- in spite of what you inferred -- so I'm not going to argue that with you. Now, if you want to split hairs on 2/3 vs. 3/3, you're more than welcome and I'll gladly read your comments.

replied to whatever
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This event is an excellent idea. I will definitely attend! Crisa and PaulBuffalo both make good points. Nationally, the trend is certainly away from newspapers but in Buffalo i'm not sure thats happening as quickly as in other communities. Local TV news still reaches more working class people than your major online news blogs.

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