Public's cynicism about media has become a pressing concern

BOSTON GLOBE ^ | 04/14/04 | Mark Jurkowitz,

[Pikamax]

Public's cynicism about media has become a pressing concern By Mark Jurkowitz, Globe Staff, 4/14/2004

At a time when public distrust of the news media appears to be at a dangerously high level, there is evidence of a deep and fundamental disagreement between those who produce news and those who consume it.

Although most journalists believe quality and values are vital elements of their work and see themselves as providing an important civic function, the reading and viewing public seems to think of journalism as a bottom-line-driven enterprise populated by the ethically challenged. Last month, the Washington-based Project for Excellence in Journalism released a wide-ranging study -- "The State of the News Media 2004" -- that concluded that a key factor in journalism's sagging image is "a disconnection between the public and the news media over motive."

"Journalists believe they are working in the public interest, and are trying to be fair and independent in that cause," the survey found. "The public thinks these journalists are either lying or deluding themselves. The public believes that news organizations are operating largely to make money, and that the journalists who work for these organizations are primarily motivated by professional ambition and self-interest."

[jdege]

So the public is wising up to what the media has been doing...

Why is that a problem?

[Frunabulax]

So the public is wising up to what the media has been doing...

Why is that a problem?

Apparently the problem is that the public is "too cynical" and the good liberal members of the press need to do a better job of explaining their selfless motives to us dumbasses.

[rj45mis]

"Journalists believe they are working in the public interest, and are trying to be fair and independent in that cause," the survey found."

That's a crock! Although they do believe they should spoon feed the masses buckets of liberal spin (for the public good, of course), there is no way that they are trying to be fair and independent, let alone "balanced."

[mo]

as per usual with a leftie its "not my fault..waaaah"..

[Spok]

The polls of public support for GWB, and the closeness of the election should have the media very concerned, as its non-stop, 24/7 hit pieces against Bush don't seem to be having the desired effect. It looks as though more and more Americans are writing off so-called 'news' for what it is: partisan politics masquerading as news. It's encouraging.

[Tacis]

Proof? Just watch any Kerry press conference and compare the questioning he gets with the media harassment of the President. Start with 30 year old military records. The left wing media asked for and got old records and then grumped about minutia. They accept without question that Hanoi John really does have 3 purple hearts and really earned them and totally disregard the importance of these records. he lied about his records, he'll lie about everything. But, the left wing media is not interested in anything but supporting Kerry.

[jerod]

Last night's press conference was more about the media than anything else, and having it during a time when the left wing media is going hysterical on Bush (because they can't seem to knock him down), was a stroke of genius.

Their lack of respect for the President was stark, their attempts to solicit an apology for 9/11 were laughable, and the American people got to see why the reporting has been anti-Bush for the past 4 months.

The liberal loving Bush hating press looked like the DemoncRAT shills that they are. Bush contrasted that by looking calm and down to earth. GWB has a hell of lot more in common with average American than Kerry and his feeble minded friends in the media, and last night was a very good example of that.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Media thinks it is a problem for them and I agree!

The reading, viewing consumers are just getting smarter, and I think the article is biased , doesn't say anything about the media units being run for other than profit based motives.

If they were run strictly for profit they wouldn't be so biased to the left.

[King Black Robe]

He misses one point. The public thinks they are also largely motivated by ideology. That sometimes even trumps money. So when he speaks of a journalist's values, I would ask, "Whose values?" It's the one-sided, high partisanship of the "news" media that is undermining its own reputation.

The only way to fix the problems of the corrupt media is to make sure staff at any given outlet is ideologically diverse in a proportional way that represents the public itself. And those proportions should not be arrived at by asking a team of liberals only. That goes for news and editorial. That way, when humans act as humans always do -- in the interests of their own causes -- balance and perspective will reign supreme anyway. You work around human nature; you do not deny it, and you can't eliminate it.

[lafroste]

The article is more evidence that they just don't get it. The article identifies a disconnect between journalists and consumers as a function of how much their desire to turn a profit influences the news they report.

Wrong.

The disconnect is that the journalists simply refuse to see just how deeply their personal views reflect what and how they report. One need look no further than those insipid, shallow questions posed to Bush last night to identify why a large segment of the population holds journalists in such disdain. Corporate profiteering (ala 60 Minutes and Viacom) is an incidental matter next to the real problem.

[StrictTime]

With the exception of a burst of national goodwill toward news outlets right after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the survey reveals a broad trend in which public opinion of the press has grown increasingly negative and cynical in the past two decades.

Could it be that the American people appreciated the support for America in the press after the attacks, but now sees right through the presstitutes Business As Usual hatred of all things beautiful and good about America? Huh? Huh? I'd love to see what that polling data looks like this morning after that scummy performance by our "impartial" media...

[norwaypinesavage]

All this handwringing, and yet they didn't even bother to touch the more pervasive issue, political bias.

[brbethke]

Why is that a problem?

It's always dangerous when delusional personalities are forced to confront reality.

Be gentle with the presstitutes. They're in a very fragile state right now. The slightest harsh word could cause their tiny minds to snap.

[AD from SpringBay]

The slow moving liberasticons and clintausauropods noted the dull thud of the asteroid in the far distance, before lowering their heads back into the mire - chewing their cuds, belching to themselves. The cloud of dust overtook them and the implications of an all covering shade didn't dawn on the dull creatures until it was too late.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

"Be gentle with the presstitutes. They're in a very fragile state right now. The slightest harsh word could cause their tiny minds to snap"

No Way let's give them hell or heck! LOL

If it was not for Free Republic and Fox News I'd get no news. I live in Richmond Va. and I have stopped watching my local channel as well because they are so biased. It makes me crazy!
I Don't know how I'll make it to Nov. I may explode 1st.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFL!!

[Diogenesis]

Give me a break.
This report was from the home of Jayson Blair --- The Boston Globe.

---

More examples?

From The Boston Globe's (and New York Times') own wars against the War for Enduring Freedom.

Turkish bombings, including that of the HSBC bank murdering a dozen people and wounding scores,
directly resulted from smears in the Boston Globe used to demean America and incite terrorists.
The Boston Globe front page article claimed the American liberation of Iraq from the murderous Saddam was a "rape".

---

The Boston Globe has a history of front-page slurs against the valiant American military [which later were merely fabricated] [4/8/03]

---

The Boston Globe has a history of falsifying front page polls
BOSTON GLOBE FABRICATES FRONT-PAGE POLL [4/9/03]

---

“If she had lived, Mary Jo Kopechne would be 62 years old.
Through his tireless work as a legislator,
(Democrat) Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age.”

– Charles Pierce, January 5, 2003 Boston Globe Magazine

[an amused spectator]

Media Schadenfreude ping - America Moves Out Of The Liberal News Ghetto

Maybe we just don't like listening to the thumping beat of NewsRap 24/7? ;-)

On, Off, or grab it for a Media Shenanigans/Schadenfreude/PNMCH ping:
http://www.freerepublic.com/~anamusedspectator/

[BibChr]

Exactly.

"Dangerous" to whom?

I would say the MEDIA have become DANGEROUSLY UNTRUSTWORTHY.

Allow me to roll that word just one more time:

UN

TRUST

WORTHY

Dan