David & Goliath & NeoWorx

I was googling for David & Goliath and came upon Oswald Sobrino’s Catholic Analysis (catholicanalysis.blogspot.com). Oswald points out that David decided against using Saul’s sword and armor and instead used his sling and 5 smooth stones and went on and downed the giant.

So Oswald points to the power of Davidian bloggers to down Goliath media. He tells the story of how 5 bloggers, equivalent to David’s 5 smooth stones, downed the media giant Dan Rather, along with it of course his mother station CBS News: Powerline, INDC Journal, Little Green Footballs, HughHewitt.com, Instapundit.

Oswald says:

Why is this story so important? It is a story that is simultaneously political, cultural, and technological. The technology of blogging has made it possible for anyone to post their analysis of the news in an inexpensive way available to millions in an inexpensive way.

The barriers to entry to political and social commentary have come down. If you are curious, perceptive, and intelligent, you can now put your hat in the ring. No Ivy League degree needed, no syndicated newspaper column needed. It is obvious that journalism school credentials have become much like education credentials: they are required for professional employment in those fields but by themselves indicate very little about the holder's competence.

The visual image of the blogger revolution was captured when Brit Hume at Fox News interviewed a bespectacled, mild-mannered lawyer by the name of Scott Johnson. Johnson is one of the bloggers at the Powerline blog (see transcript of Sept. 14th Fox interview at the Double Toothpicks blog).

Johnson looked more believable than many a blow-dried reporter for the major networks. His appearance on Fox looked like a fulfillment of the promise that the meek shall inherit the earth. All of this while Dan Rather, the old giant of old media, stumbled in stunned confusion.

Johnson explained that he and his colleagues at Powerline had in past years written and published articles for various conventional print publications but had tired of waiting months to see if some print editor would run their next submission. The internet allowed them to bypass editorial delay and reach their audience directly in real time. That is the revolutionary aspect of blogging: no unnecessary bureaucratic delay, no editorial gatekeeping or censorship. Blogging is information democracy.

Oswald’s story is dated September 15, 2004. On my part, almost 1 year later I said something that could summarize this story even if I didn’t know it before: ‘Blogging is the revenge of the unpublished writer’ (creativeleaps.blogspot.com).

Oswald’s blog is also where I discovered NeoCounter by NeoWorx. Now I have one for Total Visitors from Countries in Excellence, Manila! (frankahilario.blogspot.com). Thanks, Oswald; and thanks, NeoWorx!