From the OSM (Open Source Media) launch in New York City:
Andrew Breitbart: In the old media, I never would have introduced competitors. But in the blogging world, we're all friends.
Roger Simon: We don't just want to criticize (a short-run thing); we want to do something constructive (a long-run thing). ... This is the first deliberate blend of these factions to create a new media paradigm. ... The internet ... is an ideal place to ensure accuracy of content. ... Our guiding principle will be this openness as practiced by citizen journalists.
John Podhoretz: "The authority inheres in the words themselves."
Richard Fernandez: Your primary capital is your "rep" ... and when you have a rep, suddenly everything you say matters.
Caudia Rosett: One of my favorite papers is the "Weekly World News", because I find stories about aliens entertaining. [But] when you set yourself up as a source of "truth", you have to be responsible.
David Corn: There's a transparency that's being imposed on all of us ... and that transparency brings accountability.
Glenn Reynolds, the George Washington of the Internet: Technology is empowering ordinary people in many ways. Blogs are only part of the story: We see amateur filmmakers ... The terms "correspondent" and "journalist" are going back to their original meanings.
Judith Miller: I rarely open by quoting Karl Marx, but I'll make an exception: "Changes in production create changes in consciousness." But changes in consciousness also produce changes in the modes of production; and I think we're seeing both phenomena simultaneously. We still don't know the political ramifications of this revolution, but the ramifications for journalism are already apparent: journalists in the MSM are under pressure as never before. ... I didn't have internet access during my 85 days in the Alexandria Detention Center, but I did have time to think about a lot of things. I think many bloggers will be needing - just as we in the MSM do - a "shield law" to protect the relationship between the journalist and the source. ... Some of the more irresponsible bloggers conjured up stories of million-dollar book contracts, or published hurtful stories about my husband and family. ... There have been precious few stories - either from bloggers or from the MSM - on the threats to our freedom of expression. I urge you to support the "Free Flow of Information Act", federal shield legislation that is working its way through Congress. It is the function that we play as informers of the public that requires this legislation. ... This legislation would not cover all bloggers, but it would cover many bloggers. Those who express unsupported opinions or vitriol would not be covered - nor, in my opinion, should they be. But those whose goal is educating or informing the public, would be. We don't have an "are you making money" standard. ... The "Five Commandments" of journalism and mainstream blogging: (1) Be honest about who you are, what your agenda is, and where your funding comes from. (2) Try to reach the subject of your story for comment before you publish information about them. (3) If the subject of your article denies what you are reporting, and if the subject has corroboration, say so. (4) If you are wrong, acknowledge it through more news stories. (5) If you are wrong, commit to getting it right.
Senator John Cornyn: We are still a nation whose laws are premised on the consent of the governed; and if the governed don't know, then they can hardly consent, to what the Government is doing on their behalf. We can and should reform the culture in Washington to one where, if a citizen asks for information, the presumption is that they're entitled to it.
[All quotes are paraphrases and may not be verbatim.]
Visit OSM - Open Source Media, and be sure to mark the site on your browser favorites and/or sidebar.
UPDATE: The launch event is over - I'll have more on it later. I'm blogging from CyberCafe. It's a great place, and well worth your visit if you're in the area.
