Stephen A. Smith doesn’t want this blog to exist
December 4, 2007
Stephen A. Smith seems to think I shouldn’t be able to express my opinion (emphasis mine):
And when you look at the internet business, what’s dangerous about it is that people who are clearly unqualified get to disseminate their piece to the masses. I respect the journalism industry, and the fact of the matter is …someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can. They are not trained. Not experts. More important are the level of ethics and integrity that comes along with the quote-unqoute profession hasn’t been firmly established and entrenched in the minds of those who’ve been given that license.
Does Stephen A. Smith want blogs to be shut down? It’s not like we live in America, a country that was founded partly on the principle of free speech.
So should we not express our research and opinions?
“Therefore, there’s a total disregard, a level of wrecklessness that ends up being a domino effect. And the people who suffer are the common viewers out there and, more importantly, those in the industry who haven’t been fortunate to get a radio or television deal and only rely on the written word. And now they’ve been sabotaged. Not because of me. Or like me. But because of the industry or the world has allowed the average joe to resemble a professional without any credentials whatsoever.”
Stephen, this is the Internet. People aren’t forced to read my opinions, nor are they forced to read the opinions of any blog. They willingly bookmark it, click on a link or type in the address. That’s the beauty of the Internet. You read what you want, don’t read what you don’t want to read.
What has anyone in the media ever gained by attacking the Internet in general? They usually just come off as old curmudgeons who are scared of technology. Or in Stephen A. Smith’s case, scared of other people having opinions.
God forbid people think for themselves and disagree with you, Stephen.
(Hat-tip to Deadspin).
Gilbert
Ben
December 4, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Stephen A. Smith should pick up a history book. There’s a reason why you don’t need any sort of credential to be a practicing journalist, as opposed to a doctor or lawyer.
But more than anything else, Smith should be thankful for many of the changes in sports and the mass media that he complains about. How many people would even know who he is without the trend towards commentators whose primary skill is yelling louder than anyone else on the set? (News organizations that use loud pundits debating to substitute for news, reporting and analysis are a far greater problem than blogs. At worst, blogs are a modern form of talk radio. At best, blogs are a new and valuable form of discourse that removes many traditional barriers to the flow of communication.)
December 5, 2007 at 3:15 am
Haha, Stephen A. Smith doesn’t know how to spell “recklessness.” I think the people who disseminate their stuff and call themselves experts should at least have mastered how to spell all words they write.
December 5, 2007 at 11:06 am
Ha, I was about to say what Matt said, but Matt already said it.