Pretty much sophistry from start to finish. No humility, no openness to facts or logic. My theory is that it all traces to our homogenous journalism. ABC News competes with NBC News, just like the Yankees compete with the Red Sox. Within the lines, they compete fiercely - but outside the lines they are both selling MLB. ABC News, and all the rest, compete for market among themselves but the one thing they are all selling is "objective" journalism itself.Journalism would have it that accurate reporting is the be-all and end-all, but there is a little matter of called "story selection" to consider.
Half the truth is often a great lie. - Benjamin FranklinThe debate over Iraq is a classic: journalists put the White House on the spot because "The news from Iraq is all bad." The White House responds that the good news from Iraq doesn't get reported, and journalists reply that good news doesn't sell so you can't expect them to report it. And then the same journalists repeat their complaint that the news from Iraq is all bad.When the story selection is biased because of the self-interest of journalism, mere accuracy in what is reported does not redeem the bias hidden in what is not reported. The fact that journalism would rather report bad news puts paid to any argument based on the idea that journalism is objective. Journalism defines objectivity in terms of its own interest, as if its own interest were the definition of the public interest. But the idea that bad news is good for the public because it is in the interest of journalism is risable. Of course it isn't good for the public - that's why they call it "bad."
Yeah, right...
Japan Surrenders!
Salk Conquers Polio!
I could list them forever.
Soviet Union Collapses!
Civil Rights Act Signed!
Armstrong Wins Tour de France!
Stop me before I kill again.
Lindbergh Lands In Paris!
Dione Quintuplets Survive!
Wright Brothers Fly!
Help! I'm reporting good news and can't stop!