Who Are You?

My name is Brian Stelter. I am an eighteen-year-old college student. I am a rising sophomore at Towson University.

I ran this site anonymously until the end of May, when I was profiled in the New York Times. It was hard to run a 24/7 site like this without explaining that I was just a college student.

I wear several other hats. I am interning this summer for a local newspaper. I am the News Editor for the Towson Towerlight student paper. I also work on the school TV news show. I am a freelance web site consultant. I graduated from Damascus High School last June, and designed the school web site.

My personal web site includes a list of past titles and experiences. It also includes clips and details of my journalism background.

> My contact information

Why Are You Blogging About Cable News?

You see it everywhere. Airports and train stations. Restaurants and bars. College bookstores and high school classrooms. Health clubs and hospitals. Congressional offices and emergency headquarters. Every American newsroom.

It's pervasive. Their web sites record millions of hits each workday. Commuters access breaking news they report via cell phone. Their news-gathering organizations are aligned with the nation and the world's leading newspapers, newsmagazines, radio networks, and broadcast channels.

For better or worse, cable news networks play a key role in setting the news agenda each day and night. Broadcast anchors on the "big three" reference how their cable counterparts have been focused on a certain story all day. Stories fueled by cable attention comprise a long list: Elizabeth Smart, Laci Peterson, and killer sharks are recent examples.

Some critics argue that we are at a pivotal point in the future of journalism. Will objectivity rule? Will FOX lead the way with a flashy, fast-paced style of reporting? And will viewers keep watching? Taking a page from cable's typical breathless presentation, this site will chronicle the cable news wars.