Malcolm Gladwell recently wrote a piece in The New Yorker about the US pension system. On his blog, he has been clarifying statements, and responding to comments that contest points in his article.
In his most recent post, he makes some clarifications about what it means to be a journalist, and “report,” as opposed to actually making original statements. It is one of the most clear examples I have seen of the divide between journalists and bloggers (or blog readers) in terms of the publishing divide.
The recent changes in the publishing industry have not just reshaped the media that is used for reporting – but it has created a chasm of understanding the most basic definitions of what news and what journalism is.
Mr. Gladwell is clearly frustrated having to explain these basic tenets. It is as if you are watching two generations struggling to understand each other.