Catching up on my Fred Wilson

One of the reasons I love to read A VC is that Fred frequently inspires some really interesting debates. A few days ago he made a post about Twitter and Journalism.

Fred says that “Just because it’s said in 140 characters or less doesn’t mean it’s not journalism. To think otherwise is patronizing and wrong.”

I disagree with that. I’d explain why except that Fred also published an e-mail from John Heilemann which says, succinctly and elegantly, exactly what I think:

i’m not sure i think that journalism is an outdated concept. i think what you say is true about “conversation” becoming a key metaph for a more participatory and conversational information sphere. but to me journalism is all about reporting - the gathering and analysis of information, not merely the purveying of opinion. in my view, most blogging doesn’t constitute journalism. neither does most twittering. that doesn’t mean they’re not important and valuable. just means they’re another part of a more complex info ecosystem. but journalism/reporting will always be a crucial - indeed, irreplaceable, part of that ecosystem, too.