South of the James

South of the James was an online journal, founded in 2005 (with work dating back to 2004), that offered news, commentary, and analysis on culture, media & politics in Chesterfield County, Metro Richmond, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the world beyond. Part of the growing wave of “citizen journalism,” it was edited and published by nonprofit executive & writer Conaway B. Haskins III. The blog occasionally featured the work of over a dozen guest contributors. In January 2007, the blog went on hiatus when Conaway took a new job in politics.

South of the James also hosts the digital archives of the Low Country & Chesapeake Society, an Internet-based think tank founded in Connecticut in March 2004 by a group of African Americans of varied ideological and partisan backgrounds who sought to create an independent alternative center for black political thought. Its membership consisted of African-American political activists, writers, and thinkers active in Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, and Independent circles across the United States. Due to shifting state and national political dynamics, divergent interests of group members, and an eventually-aborted attempt by the principal founder to pursue a 2008 presidential candidacy, Low Country officially disbanded in October 2005.

As an active participant in discussions about blogging versus journalism, South of the James generally attempted to abide by four basic ethical tenets:

1. Acknowledge the facts,

2. Disclose relevant biases and/or conflicts-of-interest,

3. Do not engage in baseless personal attacks, and

4. Be consistent with anonymity or the usage of pseudonyms.

To the maximum extent possible, this blog adhered to the code of standards promulgated by the Media Bloggers Association:

Honesty, fairness and accuracy: State what you know and how you know it. Use links to supporting documents on the web wherever possible; credit sources and link to other bloggers. Distinguish fact from rumor and speculation. Be intellectually honest when expressing opinion. Don’t plagiarize or pass off others’ work as your own. Act responsibly and with personal integrity.

Transparency: Clearly disclose conflicts of interest including personal relationships, financial considerations or anything else that might influence or appear to influence your independence and integrity. If you accept payments from advertisers or sponsors, clearly demarcate advertorial from editorial content.

Accountability and trust: Use your own name and offer a means for readers to communicate with you. Engage your readers and trust them to form their own judgments and conclusions. Correct your mistakes promptly using strikethroughs or editor’s notes.

Respect for the privacy of private citizens: Private individuals may not want photographs, videos or information about them made available to a global audience, even if they’re in a public space. Use your judgment, and use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.

Occasional Co-conspirators:
Josh Chernila – RaisingKaine.com
Marleen Durfee – Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield
Stella Edwards – Virginia PTA
Dan Gecker - Chesterfield County Planning Commission
Rev. Mike Harton - Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield
Krysta Jones – Virginia Leadership Institute
Erika Jones-Haskins – Get Out There, Richmond!
Larry Miller – Chesterfield County Republican Committee
Wayne Ozmore – Republican Party of Virginia
Dr. Tom Pakurar - Hands Across the Lake
Shelly Schuetz - Go West Chesterfield
Don Scoggins - Frederick Douglass Republican Forum
Dr. Toni-Michelle Travis - George Mason University

December 4th, 2006 - Charlottesville-Right Now: Are the Democrats taking African-Americans for Granted?
NewsRadio 1070, WINA-AM LISTEN HERE

May 16th, 2006 - Charlottesville-Right Now: A Trip South of the James with blogger Conaway Haskins
NewsRadio 1070, WINA-AM LISTEN HERE

Deblogged: Political Junkies

Style Weekly

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Two mainstay politically based rants of the Virginia blogosphere have gone silent.

Norman Leahy and Conaway B. Haskins III, better known as One Man’s Trash and South of the James, respectively, dialed off after the first of the year, citing … well, frankly, better things to do.

For Leahy, commenting “essentially in a vacuum” for more than four years had taken its toll. “You just come to a point — it’s just time to sit back and figure out what I want to do next,” says Leahy, who maintained his site between time with his family and full-time employment as a copywriter.

Though he may have felt occasionally alone, Leahy’s conservative monologue drew 400 to 500 readers daily and was once called “a hoot” by Times-Dispatch political writer Jeff Schapiro.

Withdrawing his voice has drawn a flurry of calls, e-mails and letters. “I didn’t realize that leaving would create this minor stir,” Leahy says. “For the longest time I thought my only regular reader was my wife — and she had to be prompted.”

Friends called wondering about the “real story,” he says. “I was like, gee, I need to come up with some nefarious story about what happened to me.”

Put simply, he felt finished with One Man’s Trash — and a bit burned out on the most recent election cycle, which Leahy says involved too much mudslinging among fellow bloggers.

The end of South of the James appears also to have been driven largely by increased outside obligations.

Haskins, in his final post Jan. 4, begged his leave with inferences to a change in employment status — presumably for the better. Haskins, who has also written for Style, recently took a new job as state deputy director of constituent casework for Sen. Jim Webb. He writes that new endeavors require his “attention and energy,” and that ending his blog is “something that I choose eagerly as there are many new roads ahead.”

But is there ever truly an end for a political wonk with a need to vent? Probably not, if Leahy’s possible plans are any indication. He says he’s entertaining offers from a number of online publications, all “hyper-secret,” he says, that likely will allow his ravings to remain part of the broader Virginia political discourse.

In fact, Leahy says, he expects to be back somehow for the 2008 primaries, “working hard on my carpal tunnel.” S

*****

I’ve Got Something to Say

By Elyse Reel

Village News

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

These days, it’s hard to keep from getting burned out on politics. We’re constantly bombarded with stories of scandals and spin control, of the liar from one party and the sleazebag from another. No one is trustworthy and everyone’s an idiot, and whatever real issues there may be get buried in an endless cycle of mudslinging and partisan sniping.

Enter blogs.

Blogs – short for weblogs – are online journals, filled with the thoughts and opinions of their authors. Comparatively speaking, they’re still fairly new, having begun as a handful of Internet sites in 1997 and 1998; now, though, it’s possible to find a blog for anything from fashion to pets to the daily life of Joe Schmoe of Anytown, U.S.A. And, of course, there are plenty of political blogs.

Across the state, Virginians log onto sites like Bacon’s Rebellion (http://www.baconsrebellion.com) and South of the James (http://www.southofthejames.wordpress.com) to help figure out the tangled mess of today’s government.

Jim Bacon, who runs Bacon’s Rebellion, first began publishing his political opinions as a Web site and electronic newsletter. “The blog came later, in January 2005,” he says. “I’d been reading some national blogs, but never thought of blogging myself. But then a number of Virginia political blogs began popping up. They gained traction a lot faster than my newsletter had. I figured I’d better give it a try.” Now Bacon’s Rebellion is a Web site, blog and e-newsletter all in one.

“Basically, I got tired of yelling at what I saw on TV or what I read in the newspapers, and I didn’t hear anyone expressing opinions that I had,” says Conaway B. Haskins III, of South of the James. He set up his blog, and thanks to a mention on Bacon’s Rebellion, it quickly began to gain momentum. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how far it went in a short time.”

While Haskins has covered and will cover elections – the Nov. 7 Senate race and the upcoming General Assembly session and subsequent 2007 elections, to mention a few – Bacon mostly steers clear. “I did not follow the Nov. 7 elections that closely,” he admits. “The impact we’ve [Bacon’s Rebellion] had, I believe, is in influencing the debate over growth, transportation and land use in Virginia. We are the only media of any kind writing about the issues in depth,” he says. “For many, we are a ‘must-read.’”

Bacon supplements his own opinion with columns from “Wonks” (his name for guest writers), including writing from Haskins. The two bloggers maintain a good relationship; Haskins refers to Bacon as “a great editor, mentor and friend,” and Bacon calls Haskins “talented [and] thoughtful . . . . Who knows, he may even make the jump to the mainstream media one day.”

And what of the mainstream media’s thoughts on blogging? “My sense is that mainstream media journalists tend to look down upon bloggers as a breed – they’re not journalists — yet regard blogs as a window into popular opinion. Journalists consult blogs to see what’s ‘hot,’” says Bacon. Haskins notes the media’s rush to jump on the blogging bandwagon: “Newspapers have started blogs, campaigns employ bloggers and a lot of politicians blog anonymously or are avid blog readers . . . . Politicians . . . have seen the effectiveness of blogging as a tool for their own advancement.”

Clearly, then, blogging isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “Blogs are a permanent feature of the media constellation. They eliminate the chokehold that professional journalists and editors have over the dissemination of opinion,” Bacon says. Haskins adds. “The medium will probably stick around,” he says, but agrees that with blogging’s move into the mainstream, “we’re part of the wallpaper now.”

Haskins doesn’t fool himself into thinking that he’ll forever be part of that wallpaper, having watched some of Virginia’s biggest bloggers come and go. “When I believe that I can better serve in some other manner, I’ll step aside also,” he says.

If he and the current generation of bloggers step aside, however, it’s a sure bet that a new one will instantly spring up to take their places. Blogging is becoming a bigger and bigger phenomenon, and everybody’s got something to say.

© Copyright by Village Publishing

*****

The many faces of Va. Bloggers: The Web gives them a way to air their views and raise some issues

By Julian Walker and Meredith Bonny

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Sunday, July 2, 2006

As there are for most everyone, political bloggers have their own stereotypes.

One of the most common is that of an unkempt white male, typically in his 20s, who spends countless hours every day in front of a computer, churning out opinion articles and ruminations about the latest headlines.

In other words, a tech-savvy hermit.

Conaway B. Haskins III, 29, is none of those things.

He spends only a few hours a day working on his blog, doesn’t suffer computer withdrawal and admits that he isn’t exactly a techie. Oh, and by the way, he’s black.

But Haskins is a part of Virginia’s burgeoning blogging community.

In less than one year, his Chesterfield County-based South of the James blog has become fertile ground for those who want to vent about everything from local government to national politics.

He describes his blog this way: “Random acts of journalism and frequent bouts of punditry on culture, media, politics, sports, and African-American life in Metro Richmond, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the United States, and the world beyond.”

Haskins’ site, www.southofthejames.com, averages more than 150 hits (that’s visits) daily and is fast becoming a forum for Chesterfield residents who want to vent about their government.

It’s precisely for that reason that Haskins channeled his energy into a blog.

“My wife got tired of me yelling at the TV and newspaper,” he said with a chuckle.

Haskins has a history in journalism dating to his days as an undergraduate at George Mason University, where he worked on the student newspaper.

A Lunenburg County native, Haskins also worked as an editor for a student-published urban planning journal while earning a graduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Though he doesn’t view bloggers as traditional journalists, he believes there is room at the media table for bloggers.

“Virginia’s blogging community has sort of taken off,” he said. “I think it’s honestly because traditional media outlets have left a lot on the table. The economics of the media is driving blogging. There’s a vacuum, and we can step into it.”

The reaction to bloggers from the mainstream media has been mixed - some outlets have accepted the format and incorporated it into their product offerings; others see blogs almost as an illegitimate child.

But the movement is rapidly gaining steam, and recognition.

Blogger James A. Bacon is a former editor and publisher of Virginia Business magazine (a sister publication to the Media General-owned Richmond Times-Dispatch) who now runs the Bacon’s Rebellion blog and online magazine (www.baconsrebellion.com). He notes that prominent state politicos, including Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General Bob McDonnell, have held blog conferences.

Bacon, a Henrico County resident, said blogs “provide a means for elected officials to bypass the mainstream media and communicate with a connected, savvy audience” and they “have the power to elevate in importance a story that the mainstream media had been overlooking.”

Bloggers are also finding strength in numbers, as evidenced by the turnout at the recent Summit on Blogging and Democracy in the Commonwealth, held June 16-17 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

But blogs also have their weaknesses, one of which is that “most are run as a sideline,” according to Bacon, who started his blog in January 2005.

“For some bloggers, it’s a very passionate sideline. But few make a living at it, which means that many blogs blink in and out of existence. But the best blogs have staying power,” he added.

Those same weaknesses can also be advantages though.

Haskins said his costs are low - most of the software he uses is free - and his only boss is himself, and his wife, Erika, of course.

It was through a link to free blog software that was posted on South of the James that Chesterfield housewife Andrea Epps joined the blogging revolution.

She sees her Shape of the Future blog (www.shapeofthefuture.blogspot.com), which has been operating since February, as “a good source of information for anyone that would be interested in land use” and a forum for “people that are not journalists to express their opinions.”

While popular with political junkies, policy wonks and citizens activists, blogs haven’t caught on in all corners just yet.

Though Chesterfield happenings are often a topic on South of the James and Shape of the Future, county spokesman Don Kappel says he has not made a habit of monitoring them as he does the mainstream media.

To Marleen Durfee, executive director of the Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield County, blogs can be positive tools.

“Blogging can get individuals energized to participate on issues that affect their quality of life,” she said.

Haskins, who is a member of the Responsible Growth Alliance, also runs Open Forum (http://responsiblegrowth.blogspot.com/), a blog for that citizen group.

One challenge that bloggers like Bacon and Haskins think members of their community must confront is the adoption of a code of ethics, akin to the rules of journalism, as the format evolves.

Frosty Landon, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, is one person who is watching with keen interest as local blogs develop.

“I think it’s got all kinds of potential for being a good thing,” he said. “I think the more credible information the public can get the better. Access to government is better for everybody. The question is: How will they evolve? There are good blogs and bad ones.

“We’ll see how it all shakes out.”

Contact staff writer Julian Walker at jwalker@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6831.

Contact staff writer Meredith Bonny at mbonny@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6452.

As many of you know, 2007 is shaping up to be a year of major changes for me professionally. As such, I believe that it would be most appropriate to set aside this blog in order to focus my attention and energy. This is a decision that I am making of my own volition, something that I choose eagerly as there are many new roads ahead.

For over a year-and-a-half, I’ve had the good fortune (or misfortune) of musing about culture, media, politics and such from my perch on this side of the river. It’s been an interesting facet of what turned out to be a 2-year plus stint hanging out in alternative media and grassroots community activism circles. Despite some hiccups along the way, this wild and crazy ride has been tons of fun.

As President Eisenhower once commanded, “Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.” SOTJ served as an outlet for creative expression motivated by a desire to maximize my contribution to our democracy. When added to my other volunteer work, it’s been quite a journey into civic engagement. As clichéd as it sounds, I hope that this blog made a difference to someone, somewhere.

Before I drop the mike and leave this particular stage, I want to thank all of the readers, comment-makers, and fellow travelers who promoted my work and offered criticism, the dozen or so guest writers who lent me their voices on occasion, as well as the established media outlets that published my “random acts of journalism.” I also owe a debt of gratitude to my wife, family, and friends for their moral support and for telling (or admitting to) everyone they knew that I was one of those blogger people. Without you all, I’d basically be that tree that fell in the woods when no one was around.

My father constantly tells me to never tell people “good bye,” so I’ll take his advice this time. After all, I’m not going away forever, just taking my leave of this particular forum. So, I’ll see y’all later!

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jessica Smith

c: 202-236-3002

jsmith@webbforsenate.com

January 3, 2007

Washington, D.C., January 3 – Senator-elect Jim Webb announced today the appointment of several members to his senior staff.

“Over the course of the past several weeks, we have been working to assemble an experienced staff of professionals who can help advance the agenda I articulated in the fall campaign,” Senator Webb stated. “I am extremely pleased that this outstanding team has agreed to serve Virginia and our nation in the coming six years.”

Webb’s additional staff members include:

Michael Sozan – Legislative Director. As Legislative Director, Sozan will coordinate all committee and floor activities for Senator Webb and assist in establishing legislative priorities. Sozan has served since 2004 as Legislative Counsel in Senator Bill Nelson’s (D-FL) office. He grew up in Clifton, graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1991 and George Washington University School of Law in 1994. Prior to working on Capitol Hill, he was an Associate at Arnold and Porter.

Kathryn M. Wilmoth – Administrative Director. The Administrative Director is responsible for office accounts, personnel policies and technology systems. Wilmoth is a 21-year veteran of the Senate, having served in similar capacities for Senators John H. Chafee (R – RI) and Lincoln D. Chafee (R – RI). She grew up in Arlington County and is a 1985 graduate of Northern Virginia Community College.

Louise F. Ware – State Director. The State Director will manage Webb’s regional offices and coordinate constituent casework. Ware has a long record of public service in Virginia government and at the federal level. During the administration of Governor Mark Warner, she managed the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. She has also served in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and on the Democratic National Committee. Ware is a native of Lynchburg and holds a B.S. from Lynchburg College and a M.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Gordon I. Peterson – Military Legislative Assistant. The Military Legislative Assistant will serve as the key staff person for Webb on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Peterson is a retired Captain in the U.S. Navy. He is currently a strategic communications specialist with General Dynamics supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program. His previous positions include Director of Congressional and Public Affairs for the Naval Sea Systems Command, and Deputy Chief of Information for the Department of the Navy. He is a naval aviator with more than 500 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Peterson, who is long-time resident of Virginia, holds a B.A. from the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. from George Washington University. He also graduated with highest distinction from the U.S. Naval War College.

Lisa Marie Stark – Director of Scheduling. Stark is currently the Deputy Scheduling Director for Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. As Webb’s scheduling director, she will coordinate state travel and his daily activities in Washington. Stark holds a BA. in International Relations from Michigan State University and is a candidate for a masters degree at the University of Michigan.

Conaway B. Haskins, III – Deputy State Director. As Deputy State Director, Haskins will assist in managing Webb’s regional offices and in coordinating constituent casework. He will also focus on economic development and special projects. Haskins currently serves as a Senior Program Officer for the Cameron Foundation, a non-profit organization in the Petersburg area that focuses on regional development. He holds a B.A from George Mason University and a M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Michael “Mac” McGarvey – Legislative Assistant for Veterans Affairs. McGarvey will serve as Webb’s principal aide for the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. McGarvey has long been involved with veterans’ issues. He served in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a prosthetics specialist from 1985 to 2001. He served as a Marine infantryman in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Phillip Thompson – Executive Assistant. As executive assistant, Thompson will handle Webb’s personal correspondence, help coordinate long range planning, and support the communications staff. Thompson served in a similar capacity in Webb’s campaign. Thompson, who is a long-time resident of Virginia, is a former Marine combat veteran and journalist. He is a native of Mississippi and a graduate of Ole Miss.

Webb noted that additional staff members will be appointed over the next several weeks.

Paid for by James Webb for U.S. Senate

Congratulations to Jon Henke on his new gig with the Senate Republicans. Jon’s a good guy, virtually a neighbor (for a little while more), and he’s an elite blogger. Democrats would be wise to watch his moves as he helps Sen. McConnell navigate the closely-divided Senate.  At any rate, to the extent that Jon’s blogging will decrease, Virginia’s loss is will be Beltway Republicans’ gain.

The Carytown NYE was fun and funny. It was a large outdoor festival in the misty confines of the River City’s finest shopping district. I feel bad for the folks who went to Can-Can looking for a nice, sophisticated, francophile way of ringing in the new year. What they got was a raucous, free-champagne, American version instead. It was off “le crochet“(I took Spanish…sorry).  Big kudos to my man Albert for the coffee and bread hook-up as one of Richmond’s best-designed restaurants played host to the most unusual NYE I’ve ever had.

With the recent “Bash Waldo” fiesta that ensued after Mr. Jaquith yanked a blog from his aggregator, I’m beginning to rethink my earlier comments regarding the nonpartisan Media Bloggers Association (which is full of Pajamas Media, thus it can’t be a liberal ploy to attack Republicans, folks). This situation - regardless of the motives involved - demonstrates why 2007 may bring days of reckoning to the blogosphere in terms of teasing out the quality among the quantity. After striking it rich in the brave new world of 2006 politics, blogland may be reaping a bit of what it has sown, particularly as the MSM and political establishment (right and left) signal that they have wised up to the goings-on and reach of our community. The golden age is over, folks. It’s time to think outside the text box…

At any rate, though it’s not yet a full day old, 2007 promises to be a very interesting year…