From the Oxford Concise dictionary:

staff • noun. 1 treated as sing. or pl. the employees of an organization. 2 treated as sing. or pl. a group of officers assisting an officer in command of an army formation or administration headquarters.

Note singular or plural.

Cheers

V

BILL: Yeah, I’ve written a fair few theses in my life and they do go to a pattern, I’m not talking the contents, just the outline.

But, as you would know, adjusting one’s writing to a whole different format ain’t easy.

This is done in academia - from journal publication to publication - but often badly. Where covering the gamut of every tangentially related reference is more important than developing one’s own. A paper is typically 90% history and 10% new ideas, with the whole lot written in dense, convoluted jargon. Obviously, journalists have to do better than that in communicating with their readers, but the MSM is inherently conservative as it has to appeal to its existing base. Alternative journalists on the other hand have the freedom to find new ideas and develop them piece-by-piece.

You might only need 200 words to sketch out the idea, and then see how it runs. Twitter have # tagging to accomplish this (across any number of authors), but 140 characters is limiting factor. I would say that a format of sequential short pieces expounding upon a novel idea that responds to current events (and comments!) would be very interesting to read, and politically powerful as a result.

No, not really. I went to your site and that was the brief reaction I got. However, I’ll go back and take another look.

“Originality (in the context of political blogging): joining 2…”

The way you define it joining 2 or more dots together that hasn’t been done before. Then pursing this thought until…..

Surely this is what one does in academia? Very hard to do in 800-1200 words. This is the point you’re making, I guess?

Originality (in the context of political blogging): joining 2 (or preferably more) dots in a way that has not been done before (to the best of your knowledge). Pursuing this thought until all possible implications are exhausted, or it is shown to be incorrect.

INVIGILATOR: How do YOU define originality?

INVIGILATOR: You are making a joke I think? From the little I’ve seen of your rap sheet, it’s all tits and tunics, metaphorically speaking, is it not?

I thought N M was soft, like runny chocolate. Their editorials were too long, and instead of deleting the ‘C’ word they should have removed fifty percent of the very long comments.

I’d never written anything before arriving at Crikey and New Matilda and if I get the chance to look at some of my comments then, I don’t take it; I cringe.

If NM had had the chance they should have axed seventy-five percent of my words. I’m mentioning myself as it would be unethical to pick on someone else. (contrary to what many of the commentariat at Crikey practise.

There was a certain naïvity about NM. Also a prudery-I don’t mean by using the ‘C’ word- which indicated what I defined as being part of the world wide swing to conservative values of the 25-40 year olds age group.

They took themselves so damned seriously and for that crime anyone deserves censure. ( Andrew Bolt your time will come)

MELLAMAPHONE: Are you calling yourself a ‘phone, or to refer to the ungulate of Bolivia?

BTW What’s that between the cat’s ears-of your avatar?

Sorry, but no one wants to do any hard work - it’s drinking coffee and sniffing your own farts. I’m very bored with it and why wouldn’t I be? I surf in and find another day’s worth of words telling me what’s wrong with Rudd or Abbott - any d!ckhead on the street can tell me that.

I wish someone would give me a reason to click their ads, or even show up.

I had never visited The Inquisitor before, and after having a look, I think that site proves the title of this article. On the front page right now:
“Insecure Heidi Klum”
“Russell Brand Wants Katy Perry to Learn to Cook”
“2010 NFL Draft in review: Green Bay Packers” (NFL? Really?)
“Hamster Rap – this is just too damn cool”
“Awesome video music mashup using William Shatner”

I may be doing them an injustice, but on first glance, it looks more like a fluff and gossip aggregator than anything deserving of the name The Inquisitor. As such, I’m not really sure what they have to say to a site that hosts original content on slightly less frivolous topics.
But I’d still write for them if they asked.

So he plans to spend just $38.5 million of our money ( admittedly a mere soupcon compared to his earlier spending of our money) on a ‘government’ ad campaign to combat the misinformation from those evil miners….you know the same crew the “taxes windfall” from which the “Howard government squandered”

$38.5 million.

Hmm…. that would pay for heaps of articles in that quality ‘New Matilda’ journal.

Wouldn’t it?

Good job Bernard Keane’s other Labor luvvie, Faulkner is standing up to the evil Liberals on campaign finance reform…eh?

Guru is a forerunner of things to come. My advice: begin training your mind now. Get used to thinking deeply and critically. Also, treat your readers as compatriots. Comrades in revolution. Lead them, but also respond to them.

Truth is a negotiated artifact, not something to be venerated.

Come to think of it not much different the drivel we get out our Canberra Press Gallery kevvieluvvies……..

Michael, I would love to see examples the ‘alt’ stuff you talk about. Or even some vague categories? PS My blog is here - want to become the 5th reader??? ;D

My letter was written in about 2 minutes. I wouldn’t expect to be paid $100 for that. But, hell, if they want me to write a piece (about the Productivity Commission?) I’d be more than happy to…

Uh-oh. Might have just shot yourself in the foot. It seems Crikey Ed has just told you to go f**k yourself (you’re 15 years old, what else you gonna do?).

If this piece represents your best effort, your blog will remain at 3 or 4 readers (your mum & dad & sister?). (But look, obviously you are 15 years old and you might mature in time….good luck)

As for “The MSM cover all the basics”. Takes my breath away. No doubt different Crikey readers/subscribers get different things from it but for me it is an honest interpretation of news that one has trouble finding in the MSM. The “alt”, “edgy” stuff that you are addicted to, is wearying after ….a few milliseconds and the quality is simply hardly ever there (witness your letter; but again have a shot at writing a full piece for Crikey, they are quite receptive (code for desperate) if you are good enough).