La Shawn Barber’s Corner on "Open Source Media: Start Spreading the News"

La Shawn Barber liveblogs the launch here!

Some snapshots:

Update (10:07 a.m.): I’m sitting in the Rainbow Room at 30 Rock with…bloggers! Dave Johnston, Fausta, and Jonathan Schlein (can’t find his blog!). I met Pamela of Atlas Shrugs, Lucianne Goldberg and Charles Johnson. I saw Kevin Aylward and Mike Krempasky of RedState again. (met them at CPAC).

First panel: “Are Blogs The New Black,” led by a non-blogger and bloggers I’ve never heard of. :? There’s more to life than political blogging, I guess! The non-blogger thinks blogs are “absurd” and says she doesn’t know why she’s here. OK. Controversy makes things interesting. I’m having a little trouble following this discussion, to be honest. Someone who runs this blog and this one are talking about blogging. “The Manolo” is an anonymous blogger who blogs about shoes, and he’s on the telephone.

Thanks for the trackback, Pieter.

This panel is soooo boring. Not into the “fashion and beauty” stuff, or celebrity news. I think most attendees are political bloggers. I see a lot of blank stares and glazed-over eyes. Ed Driscoll and New Dave are live-blogging. The non-blogger on the panel said that because of the current conservatism and “fundamentalism” in the country, fashion has become conservative. And the moderator said that after 911 he noticed that fashion became more conservative. Who are these people? I don’t know.

(snip)

11:11 a.m.: The first panel is over. Thank goodness! The next panel is “Gonzo To Blogs: Who Is A Journalist in 2005?” This is my kind of thing. Panelists are John Podhoretz, David Corn, Richard Fernandez, Larry Kudlow, and Claudia Rosett.

Corn makes a distinction between what traditional journalists do — gather information — and what bloggers do — react to information. That’s what we need to change! Fernandez talks about bloggers’ audience, who add value to the blog.

LIVE-STREAM AUDIO of the panel. Kudlow’s in the house, and he’s a REAL blogger. The discussion is getting interesting. Lots of back and forth about the role of MSM and the role of the blogosphere.

I don't know what to make of Open Source Media. Anyone have a handle on them? Come on, now! Don't be shy!