-By Warner Todd Huston
Apparently Brian Williams does not hold the Internet in very high esteem. One easily understands this from his comments about the political Internet on the morning of October 9 when Williams took a swipe at the blogoshpere, pundits and the “opinion-based economy” — whatever the later is.
In a follow-up segment after NBC aired President Obama’s Rose Garden comments about the awarding of the Nobel Prize, Williams turned to NBCs Chuck Todd for commentary. As he introduced Todd, Williams said:
And Chuck Todd remains at the White House. Chuck, the way our society and civilization is set up now, it’s almost as if — we’re heading into a weekend now — the comic element of our society — the blogosphere, pundits, the opinion-based economy in the United States — will now just get a free shot and have at it for the next three days at least.
So, all of the blogosphere, pundits, and that “opinion-based economy” is “the comic element of our society”?
While the Old Media is increasingly scooped by the new media, it is interesting to see Williams dismiss the new medium as merely “the comic element in our society.”
Presumably he rates himself and his network news-based economy is somehow better than the “comic element of our society.”
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as NewsBusters.org, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, RedState.com, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.
He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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I would agree with Brian Williams that the internet pundits do have more humour than the overpaid braggarts at NBC or any MSM news agency. They don’t know what to laugh at and Obama, who has done nothing to earn it, getting the Nobel Peace Prize is certainly humourous on many levels.
At the same time it is serious also. Has the “Committee” set up Obama to fail? Obama cannot bring peace to the Middle East. No earthbound mortal could. Are they trying to force his hand (thereby setting U.S. policy) regarding sending more troops to Afghanistan? Will he let this ‘prize’ affect his actions and decisions? – These are questions I have heard from “the comic element in our society”.
From the same online source I heard many funny one-liners concerning the event. This was from people that I don’t think would take themselves so seriously that they would be offended at being called “the comic element in our society”. I think they would instead laugh at and make a joke about Brian Williams and wonder what his shirt was stuffed with.