Garry Trudeau Mocks Journalists on Twitter

By Jason Boog 

Roland.jpgAs NY Times columnist David Pogue prepares to write a book with the help of his Twitter followers, cartoonist Garry Trudeau bashed journalists who spend too much time on Twitter.

Recently, the cartoonist ran a series of imaginary Tweets produced by his fictional Fox News correspondent, Roland Hedley. In a WebNewser interview, he saved his most scathing criticism for journalists on Twitter.

Check it out: “the most baffling are the reporters who solicit their followers for questions before interviews. Please. You’re supposed to be professionals. Do pilots and surgeons ask for suggestions? If you can’t think of a few good questions, you and your producer are in the wrong business. It’s not about getting fresh, out-of-the-bubble perspectives, as they would argue: most questions sent in are obvious or inane. It’s really about flattering the followers, populist pandering.”

(Roland Hedley/Doonesbury copyright 2009 G.B. Trudeau)