D.C. journos debate “tidbit journalism”

LINK: www.mediabistro.com ➚ | Posted by: Joshua Benton | March 22, 2012

Good article (and even better stock art) from Betsy Rothstein at FishbowlDC on the merits of small, buzzy, viral-friendly political stories. NBC’s Chuck Todd this morning complained about how Etch a Sketch stories can grab the public’s (or at least the media’s) attention ahead of more “traditional” political themes. AP’s Liz Sidota termed it “tidbit journalism.” Rothstein lays out the debate well; here’s BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith:

I don’t see why readers have to choose between fun and serious, narrative and informational. I don’t think readers want to choose one or the other.

Other takes: Brendan Nyhan at CJR (boo Etch a Sketch!) and Rem Reider at AJR (yay Etch A Sketch!).

I’m having a hard time taking seriously @ChuckTodd‘s outrage over “tidbit journalism.” bit.ly/GGECc3 Is that wrong of me?

— Jay Rosen(@jayrosen_nyu) March 22, 2012

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