Are you a Mission Driven Opinion Journalist?

Pulp Political Publications like the National Review, Weekly Standard, Impress, Roll Call, Congressional Quarterly or even Jim Hightowers Lowdown are all printed periodically in order to get a definitive point across.  If you look in your mailbox as much as we do…..we keep seeing mountains of newsletters, magazines and politically directed writing.  Heck, then we get four newspapers each day as well.  LA Times, OC Register, Wall Street Journal along with the Financial Times.  Anna brings the Daily Mail, The Independent and other assorted British papers home two times a week.  Now that doesn’t count all the Muscle Car and Firearm Magazines….and pretty soon things start to pile up.  Did we mention Governing, New American and Shutterbug?  Everyone says we should take the NY Times and in fact they actually sent a pretty good offer, but it is just that one litte extra….we can’t quite afford right now.

 All in all, lots of written words.  Lots of information to peruse!  Lots of attitudes and policy stuff to digest.  Then we start on the web and have to look at literally hundreds of begging and pleading Nigerian Bankers with nothing but money to give away.  To date we have turned down well over 25 Billion dollars!  They don’t seem to care….because they just keep sending those offers regarding our latest Lottery Win in Belgium….or the Irish Sweepstakes!  They must have picked the right horse for us!!!

So, why do we bring up these mundance statement of facts?  We aren’t much different than any of our readers or fellow bloggers.  We are busy on the web, watching CNBC or C-Span…..reading the latest outrage by partisan NewsMax.com!  We keep following our favorite “Article Circulators”….which we are sure you know as well.  “Article Circulators” have an agenda, an area of interest….be it smog, guns or the environment for example.  They dig up everything they can find….and once on their list…..you are on the receiving end of endless “This is Amazing!”  “Article Circulators” aren’t really bloggers. They are busy running “pass through info” to their constituents.  When you actually ask them a direct question – their response is usually brief and supplanted by another relevant “Article” from a major news source.  We love these people because they “pass along” pretty good stuff sometimes.  It is info written by every known source and is offered up in order for the reader to make their own choice.  Delete it, Forward it or become another “Article Circulator”.

So what is a “Mission Driven Opinion Journalist”?  Would you say that  being a Blogger Jounalist is a MDOJ – when that can be gutteral, direct,  comedic, hurtful, too kind, too apologetic, too nonsensical?  This is all new ground.  The web has offered up a way for people to express themselves both from the heart and the spline!  Some are mean spirited…..and we are saddened by their distain for anything they are truly unfamiliar with.  Some are mean spirited because of labels.  Some are apologetic for both of those reasons as well.  Both types of these “Blogging Express Writers” still change minds on people, on issues and on policies…just the same as any well thought out article by someone who attended Columbia School of Journalism!

Years ago, if someone didn’t get what you were saying:  “They lacked conceptional ability to entertain new thought!” or “They didn’t have a clue!” or “The lights were on but nobody was home!”.  The concepts which were used with impunity regarding; Blond, Polish, Italian or Irish Jokes have been relegated to history…..which probably ended with the Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack….back in the early 70’s!  Cruel words are no longer confined to the various bigoted back alley remarks.  Today, those same people have turned into either refined and slick or rough and mean talking  – bloggers! 

As we all watch Rachel Maddow, Keith Oberman, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Chris Mathews or Larry Kudlow…..we all know one thing:  These are Mission Driven Opinion Journalists – that have people that they have to report to and earn cash…..every day!  Big money!  When we watch Pat Buchanan or Ariana Huffington……we know for sure……..”These are Mission Driven Opinion Journalist!  They are just like us.  In fact, because we don’t get paid….we may actually be better MDOJ’s than they are!  What do they know that we don’t?

Easy! -They know how to make a buck….while spouting off on their latest rant!  So, just remember…..all of us can do that….and maybe better.  So just keep writing, keep directing your intelligence toward your latest goal.  We love you guys….each and every one!

So, when someone asks you:  “Oh you do writing for the web?”  “Do you have a blog or do you blog for others?”  Your answer is:  “I am a “Mission Driven Opinion Journalist”……thank you very much!”  Then e-mail them your blog addresses!  Your Twitter, Your Google, Your My Space, Your You Tube too!  We guarantee that they will never contact you again!!!  One more thing, Bill Crystal thought up “Mission Driven” and John Podhorst thought up “Opinion Journalist”!  And now you know the rest……of the story!