BB = Before Blogs

BC, AD, and BB. Before blogs, exactly how often could you read something like this — Philip Weiss (a Jewish journalist) criticizing pro-Israel bias among powerful (Jewish) journalists? Exactly never. Illustrating Tyler Cowen’s point that blogging allows him to say what he really thinks.

The Greatness of MondoWeiss.

6 Responses to “BB = Before Blogs”

  1. Andrew Gelman Says:

    You gotta be kidding. Before blogs, Jewish journalists never criticized each other on the topic of Israel???? C’mon.

  2. seth Says:

    What’s an example, Andrew?

  3. Andrew Gelman Says:

    Just so many it’s hard to know where to begin . . . Jews are notorious for disagreeing with each other and journalists are no exception . . . look at some back issues of the Village Voice, or to go further back, all the writings of the so-called New York Intellectuals . . . Norman Podhoretz . . . Hannah Arendt . . . I’m sure you can find lots of lesser names too. Journalists criticize other journalists all the time.

  4. seth Says:

    What Philip Weiss wrote was not merely an example of “[Jewish] journalists criticizing other [Jewish] journalists”. It was very specific criticism: criticism of pro-Israel bias. It is this specific criticism that I claim is very rare or non-existent. If I’m wrong I’m happy to learn that — but you haven’t provided an example. It is too vague to say “back issues of the Village Voice” or “Norman Podhoretz” or “Hannah Arendt” (who wasn’t a journalist).

  5. Andrew Gelman Says:

    Hey, you’re the one who made the “exactly never” claim. I think if you go to back issues of the Village Voice you’d find about 3 zillion examples of Jewish journalists criticizing other Jewish journalists of pro-Israel bias. Since neither of us is being paid to do this, I doubt either of our assertions will ever be checked, but that’s my impression.

  6. seth Says:

    “3 zillion examples” exist and you can’t give one?

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