Huffington: I'm no newspaper killer!
It must be confusing to be Arianna Huffington. One day you're getting lauded for your contributions to journalism; the next day you're being accused of killing it. The Huffington Post founder and cable news ubiquity was the headline honoree at today's Mirror Awards, given out by Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communications to recognize the best coverage of media. The news that she'd be getting a lifetime achievement award drew a wet raspberry from Advertising Age's Simon Dumenco, who described it as "bitterly ironic" that a journalism school would "honor a woman who thinks journalists should work for free!" Huffington was also recently vilified by The New Republic, which accused her of free-riding on the very newspapers she's helping to destroy (echoing an allegation leveled earlier by Time.) Just last night, she felt compelled to use her allotted five-words at the Webby Awards to defend herself, saying, "I didn't kill newspapers, okay?"
If that's the case, I asked Huffington as the Mirror Awards got underway, why do so many people think she did?
"You need to tell them that I had a lot of help from Craigslist," she quipped.
Does it hurt her feelings that so many journalists see her as a threat to their livelihoods?
"People who know know that if the Huffington Post did not exist, newspapers would have the same problems they have now," she insisted. She went on:
I think they're missing the point of the fact that we are in a tremendous time of transition, and the question is how do we save journalism. And, after all, there's a lot that needs to be done to strengthen journalism, not just save it. We should not forget that with a few very honorable exceptions, journalists missed the two biggest stories of our time: the lead-up to the war in Iraq and the economic meltdown. So I think what's happening online can help break through the static. By repetition, by staying with the story, I think it actually changes the conventional wisdom around issues.Ever the master of the recycled soundbite, Huffington went on to repeat most of what she told me word-for-word in her acceptance speech. She also used the opportunity to defend herself against the charge by Dumenco (among others) that she doesn't believe in paying journalists:
We pay our journalists, we pay our editors, we pay our reporters. Our bloggers come and go. They write when the spirit moves them, and they do it because they want to be part of the conversation. They want to be heard.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-09-2009 @ 6:29PM
Roy said...
They need to give her an award,along with most of the left wing journalists,for all the lie's,holding back stories.while white washing so many of the stories they do print.Making a big story of Michelle Obama's wardrobe an her attire for the day,date night,Paris trip,London trip.I woder when they will start following her to the bath room,and report when she drops her drawer's.Some of these people already are waiting for that,so they can get a better kiss of her a--,The important thing's they misreport or just plain don't say anything.Another don't tell thing.This is what's wrong with the newspaper's.And they want you to buy them!! I DON'T THINK SO.DUH!
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6-09-2009 @ 6:39PM
Jake Bello said...
She might not be killing newspapers but she sure is a potent antidote for viagra.
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6-09-2009 @ 6:49PM
casey said...
hey roy...you're mixing up right-wing conservative "talk shows" morning joe scarzborough (endorsed by Starbucks with $10mill-sellout) sean 'im crazy' hannity, glen 'i beat my little boy for playing with his train set too late, then cry on national tv' BECK with the liberal media..who only WANT to dish out the stories, and NOT hold back. While Washington Post ALL of FOX networks, MSNBC, are bias and run by right-wing conservatives...SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY ARE REPORTING? They are the ones reporting on Michelle Obama's wardrobe...NOT these journalists. Learn what a real journlist is...read/watch some of Bill Moyers, Mr. Charles Rose, Johnathan Stewart and Stephen Colbert...open your mind...and then report back whether you think the Liberal media censors their work.
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6-09-2009 @ 6:54PM
David said...
A little known story about Arianna Huffington...... Early in her career she was a far right wing loon... Her husband ran for the U.S. Senate from California as a Conservitive Repubican. Arianna worked hard with her media marvels to get her husband elected.... He lost. Almost immediately after the election defeat Arianna and her husband divorced, Her husband "came out of the closet" and admitted that he wasn't conservitive but in real life Gay. Upon this announcement Arianna took an immediate turn to the Far Left and started basing anything and everything she once promoted. My opinion on these facts is that neither Arianna or her husband were ever Republican or Conservitives at heart but thought that was the appropiate vehicle to ride into the Senate. Since these facts are true, why would you believe anything this woman says........
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6-09-2009 @ 6:58PM
Ted said...
This woman is such a nut case, why would anybody listen to her?
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6-09-2009 @ 9:40PM
Donna said...
Maybe Huff Po should try real reporting....both sides instead of just one. Now there is an original idea!
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6-09-2009 @ 9:41PM
Confused said...
Good lord - did someone actually say that MSNBC was conservative? Way to kill your credibility before you get to your point, pal. One of these days liberals are going to have to bathe in a little self-reflection and realize that all the reporting that pisses you off from the likes of FOX News is exactly what has enraged conservatives about essentially every other major network for as long as I can remember. Let's all face the fact that behind all of these news organizations are people - flawed and biased just like the rest of us. We should be more like other countries and not be afraid to admit the conservative or liberal nature of those who are telling us what we should think. That way, someone with an independent viewpoint could actually make an informed decision.
PS - do you really think it is in the interest of a conservative to wax nonsensical about the First Lady's wardrobe (as opposed to things they likely care about like, I don't know, giving American freedoms to terrorists, the globalization of our foreign policy and the socialization of our economy)?
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6-09-2009 @ 8:25PM
SandhillsRider said...
YO Casey, ...Those peyote buttons are stroking your brain full throttle, Dude! ..Anyone in this country that believes that MSNBC is run by right wing conservatives needs to actually get a freaking massive grip on reality! You obviously have never listened to the liberal boot licker Keith Olbermann. Dude, pay attention!
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6-09-2009 @ 9:07PM
MJ said...
THIS WOMAN IS A SHARK!! SHE WOULD KILL ANYTHING ESPECIALLY THE TRUTH!!! SHE LIVES ON LIES AND SPREADS THEM. SHE HAS MARKED HERSELF FOR HELL!! CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO GET THERE.
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6-09-2009 @ 9:41PM
Clear Voice said...
Arianna Huffington is not a journalists. She is a washed up liberal hack who confuses her dryer with her dildo but forgets to shut the hair dryer off.
I have seen this liberal dirt bag as all liberals are say one thing on one station and something else completely opposite on another station. She got her ars handed to her on the show "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" by Geroge Will who almost made her cry with all the miss facts she tried to state. Just like the Obama lies and miss facts about our economy. we'll create 3 million jobs, then it's we'll create or save 3 million jobs, now where down to 600,000 thousand not counting the 100,000 that will be lost due to Chrysler and GM. So we have unemployment at 9.4% not counting the people who stopped looking and the ones who took part time jobs which brings the number to 16%. And after 6 months in with all the money the ars-hole has spent, don't go and blame it on Bush like liberals always do. Cry Cry Cry like the momma's boys they are. Breast feeding liberals like Keith Obberman or however you spell that sad sack of C^&P's name.
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6-09-2009 @ 10:35PM
tom Williams said...
SHE'S LIVING PROOF THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY ANYTHING FOR MONEY.
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6-09-2009 @ 10:44PM
casey said...
haha you people represent psycho. OKAY i made a mistake on mentioning MSBC is conservative..TECHNICALLY they are not. BUT kieth gettingolderman is the only liberal on there. morning joe? isn't he the same one that said we are better off with the 8 years from Bush? He may have had the balls to stick to his conservative guns there...BUT COULDNT FIND a NUTSAC to appear on a WASHINGTON DC radio talk show/? btw republicans...you're credibility is diminnnishing. Rush limbaugh, sean hannity, bush, cheney, that idiot from Louisiana...remember his name...must be those peyote buttons right?WTF!...BOBBY JINDAL. sarah palin. Don't make me go on. I WILL. go to this website you close-minded crazies. WWW.REPUBLICANOFFENDERS.COM/ sarah palin 2012. Lets try to not even give President Obama a CHANCE.5months into 4 years...Be patient we had Bush for 8!!!!!!!!!!
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6-09-2009 @ 11:23PM
casey said...
confused im confused that you're confused. i was not afraid to voice that stewart is liberal as well as bill moyers. fox and friends are absolute retards and represent a conservative tv show. and yes I do think it is in the interest of SOME conservative-republicans to report on Mrs Obama's wardrobe B/C I unfortunately SEE it. 1 month ago CNN, Fox, probably even CSPAN was reporting on it...and it was usually the women on such channels that were so excited. BUT they have to fill 24hrs somehow, and they are representing as the VOICES of YOUR party...So unless you create a Confused Times the public/liberals will not hear your opinion and we WILL hear PALINs and HANNITYs. What a smart person does is listen to EVERYTHING so they can decide for themselves. Oppenn-mindedness.
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6-09-2009 @ 11:26PM
Rob said...
It's ok Casey, most liberals are confused so you are perfectly normal for a wack job. Didn't Chris Matthews (Mr. Hardball) refer to "electric shocks" up his legs when he hears Osama Obama speak? The doesn't sound conservative to me.
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6-10-2009 @ 3:07AM
ERMAL said...
SHE IS NOTHING BUT A WHORE FOR NOBAMA!!!!!
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6-10-2009 @ 10:54AM
Gary said...
She might not be killing newspapers, but she is killing journalism. They don't report the news, they editorialize the news. They are like the North Korean official state news outlet. Change the news in order to attack those that disagree politically and support the "dear leader" Obama.
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