Blogging

My experience in blogging; reading other bloggers postings; and more importantly, reading your comments and critiques; all have convinced me that my definition of blogging has evolved since the inception of this blog site in early 2008, at the beginning of the Presidential campaign.

When I (photo right) first blogged on April 6th, 2008, George W. Bush was President, and one month later I was promoted to Operations Supervisor of the Syndication One News-Talk Network -- where I Supervise the Operation of several talk shows, including the Al Sharpton show.

Syn1 News-Talk Network has made valiant efforts to reveal pertinent information unique to our listeners. We worked very hard to insure that the elections of the first African-American President was fair and unscathed as were the two previous Presidential elections. We launched the "Not This Time"  Voter Registration campaign throughout the country ("Not This Time" phrase comes from GW Bush/Republican Party mysterious means of winning the previous two Presidential elections). During the general 2008 election, we focused our efforts toward the Swing States, as we knew that winning the majority of the Swing States would mean a victory for Senator Barack Obama.

Legendary White House report Helen Thomas and I at the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House 

We have dealt with much more than politics, as National issues would emerged that would capture the attention of our audience. One such story stemmed from Jena, Louisiana. In a Jena, La. high school, a noose was placed on a tree -- here in the 21st century, which spearheading an internationally televised march and rally to relieve tension in Jena and subsequently reduce jail sentences of African-American teenagers that defended themselves in a less-than-friendly school atmosphere.

The Syn1 News-Talk Network has also broadcast from informative National Conventions in Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Detroit, Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, and Marthas' Vineyard in Massachuettes, bringing the panelists and celebrities direct our listeners. Syn1 News-Talk Network was front and center broadcasting the entire week of the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver, that included Senator Ted Kennedy's last major speech and the official nomination of then-Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's nominee for the President of the United States. The historic 2009 Presidential Inauguration and Inaugural Parade was an all-day broadcast on the Syndication One News-Talk network highlighted by the first African-American President Barack Obama's Inaugural Speech.

 

Yours Truly reporting for the Syndication One News-Talk Network at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration

I bring up these major events that the Syn1 News-Talk Network broadcasted live to point out that in order for us to carry these broadcasts, you must network to make these type of events come to flourishen on behalf of the listening audience. You have to meet with the experts to gain on-the-ground access to broadcast their major events. The same should be the case with blogging. 

Since the beginning of internet blogging, the term 'blog' has been defined as someone sharing their opinions on a particular subject. Well my interpretation of blogging is somewhat different..People that know me well, understand that I sometimes take a different path than the norm. Often time that line of original thinking has turned out un-favorably for me in sports, business, and social organizations with the powers-that-be sticklers to the "only one way to doing things" mentality. I would be sidelined, blocked from promotions, or fired. 

Well I see blogging moreso as fact-finding. I have an obligation to the reader to seek out the most informed people on a particular subject. I seek out the specialist, the reporter on-the-scene, expert commentators -- including the President of the United States. I chose to highlight the more relevant author with vast knowledge in their field.

My career choice is broadcasting, broadcast journalism, and recently added the written field of Journalism. How would my opinion be viewed by the reader if I blogged daily about the Military, NASA, Politics, Legal, Foreign Policy, Science, Medical, or Entertainment Gossip? I clearly do not specialize in these areas. I instead chose to ask the experts in their chosen field to write their commentary on the popular news/subject of the day. Or I would have a reporter near at the line-of-fire to offer an eye-witness account. Blogging as accurate information as possible.

There are periodicals and TV News Channels throughout the world and I insist that these sources of information be given their just due. Why should you only get the viewpoints of USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, your local newspaper, CNN, or the brief evening newscast?

Me at the White House for the "Close the Gap in Education" Press Conference March 2009

I make it a point to give full credit atop each blog to both the reporter and the source where the reporters' stories originated. Reports from media organizations and print journalists working at or near the story is more valid than reporters half way across the globe. I call this "accurate blogging", gathering reports from the "horses mouth".

Me writing an opinion while sitting with blue jeans in my office, not being an expert on a particular subject, is irrelavent to the reader. I instead choose to produce an on-the-ground reporter with a bird's eye view. Often times I will follow-up the reporter's story with an expert's opinion on the subject at hand, one that lives and breathes the subject. I frankly cannot think of any other way about presenting a blog site. And no, I do not toe-the-line conforming to the "age of inaccurate blogger - and TV news/talk show - opinionists".

Unfortunately there are readers brainwashed into thinking that I should always 'belt out' an opinion in this age of commentators. Commentators opinions rarely have no merit due to their lack of knowledge. The opinionists' commentary is presented daily complete with a "bravado attitude" to capture a ratings point or more readers. A different topic daily cannot be viewed seriously by the audience and eventually is ignored completely. 

NBC's Chuck Todd and I at the Brady Press Briefing Newsroom at the White House

Now if the commentator is the host of a focused political program, and the host has a politically-based broadcast journalist background, such as Chuck Todd, then I would validate that hosts' opinion in their daly commentary and look forward to their opinion. While I personally may be closing in on being that political broadcast journalist, I am not quite there yet....but stay tuned :o) 

My blog travels throughout the world to present the best, most accurate, transparent, and genuine reports from a multitude of noteworthy sources including the White House and the Capitol Hill. Living in the Metropolitan Washington DC, I would not be serving you properly if I would not go down the street and network with the President, Vice-President, the Obama administration, and Congress. 

United States Vice-President Joe Biden and I at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner 2010 

Stop by this blog anytime: http://www.kirktanter.blogspot.com/