TheWrap published my list of 25 media insiders to follow on Twitter on Monday. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s generated a lot of feedback – with widely-varying reactions and plenty of criticism.
The most common critique I’ve gotten: Where are all the women? Second most common: Where are all the black people?
Of the 25 "insiders," I picked just four women and one African-American. Considering how harsh I was on Graydon Carter and Vanity Fair over their women in Hollywood issue (“Where Are Hollywood’s Hot, Young Black Women?”) I can admit my mistake.
In my defense, I do think it’s more a symptom of the media industry’s lack of hiring women and African-Americans in positions of influence than my cobbling together a silly Twitter list. Also, the list wasn’t meant to be exhaustive or definitive. I was simply looking to highlight those whose tweets are important and timely to media industry people – not looking to fulfill gender or race quotas. (Maybe that’s part of the problem.)
Another critique that’s come up a few times today: What’s with all the Mediaite people on there? Fair point – I took four — but they’re pretty prolific when it comes to tweeting. (Put another way: if Mediaite staffers chose not to update their Twitter feeds on a given business day, the industry would notice.)
Final criticism – and one I like: “Frankly, it was more of a blowjob than it was an article.” Well, all I can say is this. I was not intending to fellate any of the people on this list. I suppose any list that is positive may come off as a blowjob to those who didn’t make the cut.
In any event, here are 10 more media insiders – men, women, white, black and otherwise — you should follow.
Lacey Rose
Media and entertainment writer, Forbes
@LaceyVRose
Why you should follow: Rose covers media and entertainment for Forbes, but many other media-centric verticals on Twitter.
Recent sample tweet: "20 minutes in and no mention of tiger’s many (many, many) women. Guess that’s what happens when you lock out the celebrity press."
If you do, be prepared for: Television industry shorthand. Lots of it.
Irin Carmon
Reporter, blogger, Jezebel
@irincarmon
Why you should follow: Carmon, a former star reporter at WWD, has made the move over to Jezebel where she can speak her mind, and let her unique voice shine.
Recent sample tweet: “Girls ruin everything. Including Playboy. http://bit.ly/aPRaOZ”
If you do, be prepared for: Tweets about international travel — frequent enough to make you jealous.
Stephanie Clifford
Media reporter, New York Times
@stephcliff
Why you should follow: Along with David Carr and Brian Stelter, Clifford covers (and tweets diligently) about media.
Recent sample tweet: “Why the devil will be wearing a lot more Prada: Screenwriters now putting products in films ahead of actors, plots: nyti.ms/d4eDef”
If you do, be prepared for: Not much to complain about, actually. Stays on topic, and responsive as hell!
Robert MacMillan
Media reporter, Reuters
@BobbyMacReports
Why you should follow: Reuters reporter and self-proclaimed media talking head, MacMillan serves up a consistently topical stream of tweets for media obsessives.
Recent sample tweet: “Reuters iPad teardown special report. Or as President Reagan might have said, ‘Mr. Jobs, tear down this iPad!’”
If you do, be prepared for: Frequent tweets about public transportation.
Caroline McCarthy
Blogger, CNET
@caro
Why you should follow: McCarthy knows more about the business of social media than you or I do. Period.
Recent sample tweet: “OH: That’s not crowdsourcing, that’s porn!”
If you do, be prepared for: Early-morning tweets from the MSNBC green room.
Gillian Reagan
Blogger, Business Insider
@gillianmae
Why you should follow: She writes about “tech and culture” according to her Twitter bio, but she tweets about virtually everything you need to know in media.
Recent sample tweet: “Ok the WSJ vs. NYT battle is just getting silly.”
If you do, be prepared for: Punk record coverage, or so I’m told.
Foster Kamer
Blogger, Village Voice
@WeAreYourFek
Why you should follow: Foster, the former weekend editor of Gawker and freshly-ordained Village Voice blogger, is a media voice on the rise. And funny.
Recent sample tweet: “Working on my gossip blogger-to-book deal. Potential Titles: ‘Infeariority Momplex,’ ‘Talker Stalker,’ ‘The Fortress of Ineptitude.’”
If you do, be prepared for: Practical jokes, Twitter-style.
Jenna Wortham
Tech reporter, New York Times
@jennydeluxe
Why you should follow: Another Times reporter that’s skillfully made the transition from newspaper reporter to new media leader.
Recent sample tweet: “burning q: when do trashy rag mags like in touch and us weekly come to the iPad?”
If you do, be prepared for: Like colleagues Brian Stelter and David Carr, Wortham often includes print page numbers with links to her stories – as if you have a hardcopy of the paper with you at all times. Must be a Times thing.
Felix Salmon
Finance blogger, Reuters
@felixsalmon
Why you should follow: As Reuters resident – and, on occasion, outspoken — finance blogger, Salmon often finds himself in the thick of Silicon Alley.
Recent sample tweet: “Andrew Leonard’s fabulous takedown of Michael Wolff, 12 years in the making: http://bit.ly/dxnEJU with added bonus response from Wolff!”
If you do, be prepared for: Depending on your platform, frequent ping-pong tête-à-tête with critics. And tweets about public transportation.
Baratunde Thurston
Online editor, The Onion
@Baratunde
Why you should follow: While his day job is online editor for America’s Funniest News Source, his other job is keeping his followers in tune with technology – and the media industry looking to spoon with it.
Recent sample tweet: “My favorite part of the ipad apple store experience: when the apple employees dry hump you after your purchase.”
If you do, be prepared for: Boasts about whiskey consumption — usually on Fridays and accompanied by a hashtag.
