Bottum's Twitter Exchange

Interesting to see two bigtime journalists for bigtime publications sneer at Jody Bottum on Twitter:

Wesley Yang: “Interesting to see Joseph Bottum writing for the Epoch Times”

Joseph Bottum: “They asked.”

Graeme Wood: “Do you ever say no?”

Joseph Bottum: “Never to the outlet. Sometimes to the topic, if I can’t see an approach. Often, if it pays little. And always to the take proposed, if I don’t believe it. Is that bad? Maybe, since I’m still an unsuccessful writer, scribbling away at pennyeach pieces at my rickety deal desk.”

(Later):

Joseph Bottum: “They are pushing, I think, toward an attempt to measure the ad-hominem fever of the age: Must we appear only among those we agree with on most everything?  You can see it in the lack of support for @nypost in battle with Twitter: Political sides are more important than fellow journalists. Even "fellow" has a dated and outmoded feel. These days, it’s more like “If you ain’t got the right politics, you ain’t no fellow of mine.”