February 28, 2005

8:58 AM

Hypothetical question (brought to mind by a recent post) : Is there an expiration date for news-related posts? Is something that was published last weekend still front-page worthy today?
posted by grapefruitmoon to etiquette/policy at 8:58 AM (19 comments total)

If it's very good, yes. If it's not, no.
posted by nthdegx at 9:15 AM on February 28, 2005

You'll get "NewsFilter" complaints if the FPP is a single week-old AP article. If you can spend the time to find some other interesting links on the topic, and turn the news into only a single piece of a better post, you'll be paraded through the streets as a people's hero. Or at least you'll get snarked less.
posted by Plutor at 9:17 AM on February 28, 2005

Plutor : I'm asking because of something that was already posted, not because there's something that I want to post. Just to make the distinction clear...

But yes, I agree that NewsFilter-esque posts are much better when backed up with multiple links.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:18 AM on February 28, 2005

Grapefruitmoon: You know that, on the whole, Metafilter supposedly prefers links that aren't news-related at all, right?

That said, I remember people saying to a poster, "What's the matter with you, posting a month-old news story" but never "What's the matter with you, posting a week-old news story," so take that for what it's worth.
posted by Hildago at 9:28 AM on February 28, 2005

Hildago : see above comment. I am not even dreaming of making a news-related post.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:33 AM on February 28, 2005

Don't just go by the expiration date. They tend to be pretty arbitrary. Use your nose. If it smells bad when you open the carton, chuck it.
posted by casu marzu at 9:35 AM on February 28, 2005

Since 'last weekend' was yesterday, I see no problem posting it today. ;-P
posted by mischief at 10:35 AM on February 28, 2005

mischief : I meant "last weekend" as in "the 20th"... though after I posted it, I realized my wording didn't work so well. I should have just said "something more than week old" rather than "something from last weekend." D'oh. :P
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:44 AM on February 28, 2005

I think casu marzu has it right. If the story was big news a week ago its probably smelling bad already. If it was obscure, yet interesting, several weeks ago then it is probably still fresh enough for posting. Just leave the in-out jokes out of the title.
posted by caddis at 11:34 AM on February 28, 2005

Well, Gannon/Guckert/GOPwhore gate is still going strong after 3 weeks, and gaining steam.
posted by amberglow at 12:24 PM on February 28, 2005

yeah, one hopes they don't blow it
posted by matteo at 12:52 PM on February 28, 2005

David Corn:

"In brief, I'm being a worrywart about the journalistic implications of the Gannon affair, and I note that two key aspects of the story--that Gannon is a gay GOP hypocrite and that Gannon was handed classified information regarding the Wilson leak investigation--are not fully supported by the known facts."

Of course Corn is having a conscience-crisis these days, owning up to what the rest of us were saying when it wasn't fashionable: the 'progressive' activist movement repeatedly shoots itself in the foot, The Iraq Election didn't deserve all the fashionable doomsaying, the quick Iraq withdrawal is a mistake, Kerry was a dubious candidate and Howard Dean needs self-control. Is Corn a GOP mole? Could GannonGate not be our country's Most Important Political Scandal Ever? Stay tuned.
posted by dhoyt at 2:01 PM on February 28, 2005

"But the Jeff Gannon/James Guckert saga is far from over. It remains unclear how a graduate of a conservative training program, someone with no previous journalism experience, someone whose writings were often lifted directly from White House press releases, still managed to gain access to the White House press room, where he spent two years lobbing gentle questions at the press secretary and the President. And some political analysts who monitor President Bush's relations with the media insist that Gannon (who, referring to Democrats, recently asked Bush, "How are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?") should not be viewed as an isolated case. Rather, they contend that Gannon is symptomatic of a broader White House strategy to undermine the traditional media by disseminating the Bush message in creative new ways." [Philadelphia Inquirer | January 28, 2005].
posted by ericb at 2:14 PM on February 28, 2005

Instead of derailing this thread - let's ontinue the Gannon/Guckert conversation in the still current and ongoing MetFi thread.
posted by ericb at 2:15 PM on February 28, 2005

*let's continue*

*MeFi thread"
posted by ericb at 2:16 PM on February 28, 2005

Wow, I hadn't seen that thread before. A thread that's gone on for nearly two weeks and collects a lot of related links all in one place instead of spreading them all over the front page every other day?

That's a very welcome development.
posted by casu marzu at 2:40 PM on February 28, 2005

it's becoming a problem tho--it takes longer and longer to load, and will expire soon too. Should we email matt to see if we can do a sequel?
posted by amberglow at 3:08 PM on February 28, 2005

Perhaps the Inky post is a good starting point for a sequel. It seems like the first, major, non-op/ed coverage in print. That seems like a possible good threshold for a new FPP.
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:34 PM on February 28, 2005

I'll email him tomorrow. I have a feeling now that it hit front pages (finally) it's going to heat up. (unless anyone else wants to email him first? i prefer poking him with a stick made of spirit foam to asking favors) ; >
posted by amberglow at 4:49 PM on February 28, 2005