Do Bloggers Get A First Too?

Here it is Monday and we still can't get "The Point" -- at least today, but it IS coming back, so what's the point? It's the First Amendment.

The editors down on Exchange and South Main now say they will restore The Point, the political blog on Ohio.com's new politics website that's been on hiatus since it was yanked off the web after Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff launched complaints that blogger Ben Keeler shouldn't be able to make his point since he (Keeler) is a candidate for the county GOP Central Committee on the slate that wants to give Arshinkoff the heave-ho. Thanks for getting open debate opened up again.


This may sound very confusing but in reality it's pretty simple: just how willing is the media to extend the First Amendment to those who contribute political content online, and what unique power to stifle debate should politicians have?

Arshinkoff's argument (we can only surmise since Alex isn't talking for himself, as usual) is that Keeler is biased since he's openly running on the New Summit Republicans platform to make a change in the county GOP. That bias is no surprise since Keeler made the point openly and honestly in his own blog from Day One. Apparently no good deed goes unpunished because Keeler was shut down, according to management's original posting, after Arshinkoff complained.

Their point is that someone might argue paying the bloggers might constitute support from the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com despite the frequent disclaimers posted all over the blog posts and site on how neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are responsible.

What is interesting is how this hasn't really surfaced beyond a couple dozen blog notes, this one included, in questioning why a media organization (in this case the Beacon Journal, owner of Ohio.com) didn't use the occasion to respectfully remind Alex of Keeler's right to his own opinion and political views as not only a blogger but also as a candidate, and encourage Arshinkoff to use the occasion to respond or challenge Keeler directly.

In their own terms of use the new political feature on Ohio.com notes it doesn't "...control, and is not responsible for, any Content made available through the Site by members." Doesn't Keeler's opinion and the thoughts of fellow bloggers and responses fall into that category? The Point's very own disclaimer also makes it clear Keeler and opposing view blogger Kyle Kutuchief have their own opinions and neither the ABJ nor Ohio.com are tied to any opinions or endorsements.

Alex Arshinkoff is absolutely right to note Keeler's bias (just as Keeler did himself) as a matter of his personal opinion, but using the complaint to pull the blog is the absolute wrong decision by the folks at Ohio.com, which should be commended for encouraging open debate and discussion on public issues and setting up a site devoted to politics.

Critics of the way things are done in Summit County often talk about how we in the media fail to illuminate the shortcomings of the elected and powerful, relegating the real decision making to power lunches at the Portage Country Club or downtown restaurants known as political watering holes. Anyone taking in a tasty bite at Bricco can attest to the movers and shakers who meet over a plate (full disclosure: me included) to talk strategy. This decision only reinforces and gives credence to that criticism.

I'm glad the posting will start up, sometime next week according to the update. In the meantime how about not losing sight of the fact that the real point is to generate enough heat to shed light on the way the people's business is decided?

(First Amendment image from www.reedexpo.com; it's a t-shirt from booksellers promoting the First Amendment and you can buy it for $25 bucks through this link.)