a very fresh Loaf, indeed.
So Andi wants us all to be Better Media Critics Through Blogging. Which would imply that we should be more, y’know, critical.
So I really ought not to be lavishing Creative Loafing with praise. (Disclaimer #1: didn’t discuss this entry with Andi beforehand, and as far as I know he didn’t contribute to the articles in question. Disclaimer #2: I have plenty of arguments about the Loaf, most of them ideological.)
But: the online presentation of Mara Shalhoup’s two-part series, “Losing Hanna” (see Part I and Part II) is truly excellent. Not only did they include hyperlinks to Shalhoup’s sources — a useful innovation, and I hope one that catches on — but the bulletin boards that follow each article include comments and rejoinders from the family involved.
I’m not optimistic about those bulletin boards, which usually require heavy, heavy monitoring — heavier than I suspect the Loaf can afford to do — or die a miserable, comment-spammed death. But the paper gets big credit for giving it a shot.
I had nothing to do with the article. As a rule, I’ve got nothing to do with anything.
I would think that an occassional praise would make you a more effective critic.
Despite the fact that Jessica is praising cln.com and not the author, and even though we only actually interacted once or twice, this is the part where I pointlessly announce that I graduated high school with Mara Shalhoup. Who says Atlanta is not a small closely-knit community? Go Greyhounds.