I just finished watching Joe the Plumber's first report on PJTV, after reading a really well-written and snappy criticism of the venture that I ran across.
A lot of people in the media seem to be weighing in on the Joe Wurzelbacher-as-journalist phenomenon. Most of them are, like this review, unimpressed with his product. After viewing the report personally, I think it's notable how when someone who isn't trained AT ALL goes out and does just as good a job as the pedigreed mainstream media does, they react so.... snottily.
The criticism of Joe comes off as pissy and elitist (imagine that!) coming from people who routinely ignore the important parts of stories to focus on the minutiae that comports with their agenda.
The criticism, by Jazz Shaw, mostly centered around Joe the Plumber's lack of journalistic training and general unpreparedness. Here's a sample:
The point here is that journalism, as with most professions, requires its own set of skills, training, and perhaps even a bit of native talent. History is sprinkled with tales of savants who seem to have been born to excel in one field or another, and for all we know, Mr. Wurzelbacher is the next Edward R. Murrow. It’s possible that he may be poised to usher the news neighborhood into a new era of gentrification, but I fear the odds seem rather long.
It goes on but the fact is that if anyone is wasting their talents it's Jazz Shaw. True, Joe the Plumber may not be Edward R. Murrow, but he also isn't Dan Rather, and that's good enough for most of us. The article, while entertaining, shows much of what is wrong with the MSM. They don't even know that they have no credibility anymore.
What quality of media product shall we consumers receive should Joe, in defiance of all expectations, succeed on this mission? The goal of cutting through the perceived bias of the mainstream media filter is an admirable one to be sure, but is this what our newly hatched journalist will deliver? The resultant reporting should be an unvarnished look inside Israel’s struggle with Hamas, examining the lives of those on each side. But might we be left with a suspicion that the reporter in question has a personal agenda? With such a thin resume as a reporter — stretching generosity to its limits — these remain difficult questions to answer.
Maybe Joe does have an agenda. I'm actually sure he does. But to use that to discount his reporting seems odd... at least in light of election 2008 and the Obamatonic-media mind-meld that is continuing to this day.
For my part I salute him for having the balls to follow his heart and take the opportunity that presented itself. And who's to say if he ends up being an Edward R. Murrow? Probably not, but that isn't the issue. The reporting was good enough, if not exceptional, and I'm sure that in a couple of weeks he'll get the full hang of it.
The MSM sees people like Joe the Plumber as a threat to their hegemony on information. People like me take some inspiration from the opportunities that have opened up for a guy who just had the cajones to speak his mind. What could be more American that that?
Of course, Americanism is very out of vogue with journalists in general. Reviewers like Jazz Shaw miss the point, when they compare Joe to figures like Murrow. Murrow was off the air before I was born anyway, so I'm not really sure who he is. I'm plenty happy with Joe Wurzelbacher just NOT being another Dan Rather.
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