Recently Slate wrote a story about how Rudy Giuliani’s daughter had listed on her Facebook profile that she had supported Barack Obama for President. Michael Arrington also covered the story on his Web site TechCrunch.
Does anyone else find it slightly disturbing that two well respected online publications would think it important enough to report this story? Who gives a rats ass what Rudy Giuliani’s daugther has on her Facebook page. She’s 18 years old.
This is just cheesy American tabloid style journalism which I think is beneath Slate and TechCrunch. You publish this story not because you think its important but because you want to score a quick shot at Rudy Giuliani.
Oatmeal Stout - Justin Thorp's blog 
I think the primary issue it points to is: social networks are very, very public. The Virginia Tech recently proved this.
I think the value of journalism is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. In a world where digital life and real life overlap, this is what are wonderful future offers.
Are we willing to make sacrifices in what we believe is journalism in order to have folks interested and engaged?
Although I’m not sure how much “engagement” and “citizenship” this story really encouraged at the end of the day.
So Justin, are you becoming more compelled by Keen’s argument about the internet being drivel?
I wish I could make DC Bar Camp. I’ll only get to go to Nashville Bar Camp on Aug 18. Take care…
This article doesn’t encourage engagement. It encourages voyeristic gluttony.
I don’t think that Keen is saying that the Internet is drivel. I think Keen is saying that we are all early adopters and jump into bed with technology before we fully think out the ramifications of our actions.
I have been busy lately but I do want to write a series of responses to Andrew Keen’s book.
I see nothing wrong with reporting that. Have you ever seen Mydeathspace.com? it’s like a train wreck. I digress. It’s public and it’s published. Once you publish it, you have the choice of editing or deleting it. I think the journalists at Slate and TechCrunch were having a slow news day and looking for a new angle to the trite political news coverage.
Running for and being President isn’t a private affair. He gave up his family’s privacy when he threw his hat in the ring. I don’t like this anymore than you do, but it was a choice that he and his family made together. It is rather interesting that he doesn’t have the support of his own daughter.