Thunder from Down Under

The award for the most long distance savaging of Nick Coleman goes to .... Tim Blair.

He's Australia's finest blogger, and a real live newspaper journalist as well. Perhaps that's why he knows Coleman's type so well. Excerpts:

The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Nick Coleman puts us idiots in our place:

"Here's what really makes bloggers mad: I know stuff."

Too bad all-knowing Coleman wasn't able to help his Big Media colleagues identify a Microsoft Word document recently. Because -- and he'll tell you -- Colemen knows a whole bunch about everything:

"I covered Minneapolis City Hall, back when Republicans controlled the City Council. I have reported from almost every county in the state, I have covered murders, floods, tornadoes, World Series and six governors."

Wow! Almost every county in Minnesota! That totally kills us blogger types, who never go anywhere or do anything. None of us know of these "tornadoes" or "World Series" you speak of. What are they? And, seeing as you're such an expert, who will win this year's World Series? Who will win the World Series in 2011?

"Do bloggers have the credentials of real journalists? No. "

Well, apart from those of us who do have those credentials, on account of being "real journalists". Which is the saddest life description I can currently think of.

Don't miss Tim's comments section either, or as Nick Coleman would describe it, a sleazy and unreliable chat room. It includes these insightful, witty barbs:

I read this earlier and I constantly felt suprised that I wasn't seeing any tear stains on his submission. That editorial had all the look of a man who has had his dignity belittled by someone. Posted by: jungus at October 1, 2004 at 05:47 AM

Attention, Australians - the belittler in question, it was me! It was me! I made Nick Coleman cry!

I am a reporter at a daily paper in NYC. This is the stupidest fucking thing I have read in some time. I work very hard at my job and take a lot of pride in it, but I drink no Kool-Aid. all that self-referential shuck and jive--"i covered city hall"--is pablum. I've done that stuff too and feel confident that an orangutang could do it as well as some reporters ive seen.

Journalism is a craft, learned and improved upon with repetition. There are innate skills that can make one person a better reporter than another--effort, desire, personality, humility, thick skin, the ability to work with financial or legal documents and a sense of what sells to your constituency. But to imply that Mr. Coleman has something that 90% of the readers here dont have is asinine.
Posted by: rod at October 1, 2004 at 07:38 AM

"I covered Minneapolis City Hall, back when Republicans controlled the City Council. I have reported from almost every county in the state, I have covered murders, floods, tornadoes, World Series and six governors."

"Today I'm covering Dan Rather's ass." Posted by: Bob's Your Uncle at October 1, 2004 at 08:13 AM