Scoble’s Link Blog

I only caught a few minutes of Gene’s program, but he was talking aboutthe original intent of the framers of the U.S.Constitution when they talked about “freedom of the press.” After allthese years, many of us have come to see the big media as the “freepress” guys. It’s almost as if the term “free press” =  “freespeech” and the media basically runs that show. I don’t buy it. Neverhave. And neither does Gene, who said that Jefferson and hispals back then intended the term “free press” to mean, well, everyone- although it certainly took them quite a while work out thehorrifying situation regarding the Native American Indians, the AfricanSlaves, women, etc. But you get my point. Stand on the street and yellyour message to passers by. Print pamphlets and distribute them.Communicate. Talk. Whatever.

I agree totally. Bloggers are part of the press now. Get used to it bigmedia. You no longer control the conversation. Now you are a mereparticipant (albeit a big one) in the conversation — as it wasintended all along. In fact, Gene equates the pamphleteers back then tothe bloggers of today. I can buy it.

He also suggested that Apple should hire that guy who broke theirsecret product release story, rather than sue him. “Put him in Apple’sPR department!” Gene said. Ah, Gene … psst … based on theirbehavior, Apple’s PR and marketing operation seems rather differentfrom bloggers. That’s why they are in this situation in the firstplace. It’s a lesson all corporations are learning. Just as the pressno longer controls the conversation, corporations no longer controltheir messages. Marketing has to get over it and join theconversation instead of trying to artificially control it.

Anyway. I didn’t listen to the program for very long because I wantedto hit the hot tub, so I didn’t hear any of the callers. I’m sure somebloggers called in. If you heard the show, let me know how it went. Bythe way, Gillmor commentson this free speech / free press issue, too.

Related…