The Verne Kopytoff Award

Okay, there's this reporter named Verne Kopytoff who writes for the business section over at the Chron. We're sure he's a great guy, loves children and puppies, wonderful conversationalist, handsome, yadda yadda. In fact, if he ever felt like getting in touch, we'd be happy to chat over a beer or some coffee. But see, that's the thing. Somehow he got assigned to the 'blog' beat over at the Chron but, um, we're not sure that was the best decision his editor ever made.

So we have a little joke here at SFist. When a mainstream journalist pens an article about blogs that is either dismissive, overly broad in its approach or ill-informed, we give them the honor of holding the "Verne Kopytoff Award for Not Getting It" until another journalist manages to, well, not get it. Today's new honoree? Verne Kopytoff!

The front page of today's "Technology" section of the Chronicle declares, "Citizen journalism takes root online...Just plain folks can create their own news sites." Wow, really? Okay, we admit, thousands of Chronicle readers have probably never even visited a blog, much less want to know what Bill Keller and Jeff Jarvis are in a huff about at any given moment, or know who Jay Rosen is or, frankly, care.

But if you're going to participate in the debate, bring something new to the table. Address press pass issuance policies. Talk about the Chronicle's ideas for leveraging the blogosphere (especially since Bronstein pooh-poohed blogs just recently). Blurb sites that aren't vaporware, like us and the SF Metroblog. And if you're going to cover the beat, why don't you start your own blog! We'd totally read it.