ICANN follow-up
By
Dave Winer on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 9:15 AM.
 Mathew Ingram writing at GigaOm picked up the story, so now it's no longer true that the tech press has punted on the interesting part of the land grab announced on June 13.  Lesson learned, again -- it's really hard to get the press to focus on a story that isn't fed to them by some event or announcement. Or they have little respect for people like me. I've actually said directly to reporters what the story is, in less than 140 characters, but they didn't respond. These are people who, if you asked them if they respect me, would insist that they do.
I just don't understand how the world works, obviously. People are lying when they say they'll take stories from anywhere. This story is very easy, no leaks necessary, the only digging needed is to click a link and spend five minutes reading.
I also wrote a brief review of The Newsroom, which I liked. It received shitty reviews from real reporters who say it isn't like real newsrooms. Of course not, it's a TV show. I thought the story of the first episode matched nicely with the story of the ICANN namegrab. In this story BP is Google and Amazon. And the press is the press. Asleep at the wheel, waiting for someone to feed them a story, and if it comes from an unexpected place, unprepared to hear it.
Biggest irony -- the worst listeners are the people who we need to be the best. (Reporters.)
 I went to see War Horse at Lincoln Center a few months ago. It was nothing like a real war. The horse was nothing like a real horse. Yet it was good play, inspiring, heart-rending, uplifting, loving. Really reaches in there. President Kennedy in his inaugural said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." He wasn't like a real President. He asked people to care about their country. These days Presidents don't expect that so they don't ask. That has carried over to the Internet which needs your love. It's crying out for it. The tech press, who are supposed to care, who would tell you that they do care, do not.
Those are the depressing facts.
But at least Mathew Ingram cares, and for that I am thankful. 
I have to give up on this story now. I've done all I can. If it's going to be something we do something about other people are going to have to do some pushing.
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