Conservative media activist Andrew Breitbart died suddenly last night. Given the amount of time I’ve spent talking about him on this blog and in the classroom, I felt I should post something about it.
Conservative media sites are heralding him as a fallen hero today. Progressive sites are being polite and circumspect, as is appropriate. Everyone was caught unprepared – the Washington Post coverage consists of an AP report that lists tweets and brief quotes by public figures.
If you were unfamiliar with Breitbart, Slate magazine ran an excellent feature of him in 2010. My own stance on the man’s influence remains unchanged from my October 2010 post.
The man was a pioneer, and tremendously successful at his brand of media activism. It was this very success, and what it means for journalism and political discourse, that I have long objected to.