Interesting article on Ars Technica: The Once and Future eBook by John Siracusa.
Posted here for my own reference, and, of course, for anyone else with an interest in the field.
A World of Difference
President Obama is giving his first prime-time news conference as I type this.
The difference between this and the Bush era is absolutely striking — instead of short stumbling fumbled answers, often responding to questions with meaningless doublespeak and empty slogans, we’re seeing eloquent detailed answers, fully responding to the reporter’s question…. and then, even more incredibly, he goes on for an additional 5 minutes or so, expanding on the issues raised in his answer, even if those additional details weren’t directly asked for by the reporter.
It’s like a Presidential press conference with DVD extra commentary!
Obama understands that information is power, and he’s banking on his belief that the American people can handle details, rather than soundbites and slogans. The Washington Press Corps has no idea how to react. It’s a beautiful thing.