How Not To Write Online

Anyone who wants a primer on how not to write an opinion piece online should check out this screed by Joe Conason: Will Bill and Betsy kill again?

How do I know it is a screed? Well, because it is constructed like one. For example, every time Conason makes an ad hominem attack (and there are plenty including the personal problems of his subjects) he provides a link to go check out the details of the off topic information. However, if he makes a point about an on-topic detail he will say things like, "this information is widely available." Okay, so why not give us an example and a link? Are you too busy? Why is a story about a woman's divorce pertinent while information about the intellectual veracity of your subjects is deemed too much of a bother?

Conason's is the worst kind of writing from mainstream journalists on the web. The actual written content on his piece is so slender, spending as much time as he does dusting off his liberal bona fides, you are left with precious little to evaluate his claims. Granted, the use of hyperlinking can allow people to do this while pointing people into more substantive sources of backing information, but Conason seemingly doesn't know how to do this. As a result one cannot read Conason's work and know if he is being intelelctually honest or not. Thus his piece becomes nothing other then a screed announcing his personal dislike of Bill Kristol and Betsy McCaughey.

I would think a real journalist would have something better to do with his time.