AUDIO: Are bloggers the pamphleteers of this century?

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- In colonial America, most printers were also publishers. They would produce broadsheets or pamphlets, and these became the way news traveled throughout the colonies. They were opinionated and local -- and often challenged authority. And it wasn't hard to publish.

DOWNLOAD MP3 audio of talk (15MB; 30 mins):
http://newshare.typepad.com/mediagiraffe/files/pamphleteers-sims-01-26-05-mcla.mp3

Today, America's political "bloggers" are similarly opinionated and local -- or topically specific. And they are beginning to have a profound impact on politcs and public policy, just as the pamphleteers of the 1700s and early 1800s.

What lessons can today's bloggers learn from their pamphleteer brethren? Two scholars will discuss this question at 7 p.m., on Thurs., Jan. 26, in Bowman 101, at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, Mass.

-- Tyler Resch, librarian at The Bennington Museum, former editor of The Bennington Banner, prolific author of Berkshire and Bennington county historical papers, and an expert on the imprisonment of 18th-century Vermont
pamphleteer Anthony Haswell for violation of the Sedition Act.

-- Norm Sims, professor of journalism at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an expert on "literary journalism" who has studied the pamphleteer style of writing for courses and papers.

The session is part of the course: "The Future of Journalism," offered at MCLA this semester in part with support from the Hardman Foundation. Requests to attend the session should be directed to MCLA Visiting Lecturer Bill Densmore at wdensmor@mcla.edu, or 413-458-8001 in Williamstown.

Comments

[N.A.R.C.]

Are bloggers the pamphleteers of this century?

In a word, yes, but even more so. Computers and the internet are just a wee bit more universal in 2006 than printing presses were in the late 18th century.

Too bad we missed this post earlier. We would have enjoyed the discussion.

We'll have to blogroll you even if you are based out of Williamstown (or as Mr. Billings likes to say - Billsville.)