WSJ: Caveat Vendor -- Consumers of news are more aggressive than ever (ABC's Weston still clueless)

Wall Street Journal ^ | May 16, 2005 | DAVID L. WESTIN

[OESY]

I read the news today, Oh Boy! People aren't reading newspapers as much as they used to. At the Washington Post, circulation is down almost 3% in just one year; the Los Angeles Times is down over 6%. Even The Wall Street Journal is down almost 1%. The New York Times has bragging rights simply by remaining flat. And, the situation may be even worse for smaller newspapers in some markets.

Newspapers certainly aren't alone in the reports of decline. Until now, the headlines have screamed at us about declines in network news. It's said that misery loves company, but I'm not really looking for company because I don't find the situation nearly as bleak as some of the reporting makes it out to be.

Why is it that fewer people are getting their news from our major newspapers or from the broadcast evening news? It's certainly not because they've lost their value. Even with the declines we're seeing, both newspapers and evening newscasts still remain dominant news providers for many millions of Americans....

And I don't think anyone can claim that the drop-off in newspaper circulation or evening news viewership is because of some decline in overall interest in the news. The fact that there are fewer Americans reading the Washington Post or watching World News Tonight with Peter Jennings doesn't tell us anything about the overall appetite of our audiences for news and information. To the contrary, over the past decade we've seen an explosion in the number of news outlets in this country -- from cable news channels to the Internet to more local television covering the news. We wouldn't have had this explosion unless there was an appetite out there for the news and information being provided....

[OESY]

Meanwhile, Newsweek apologizes for story on Quran, May 16, 2005

Magazine's report on alleged mishandling of Muslim holy book sparked fatal violence.

By Dino Hazell Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Newsweek magazine has apologized for errors in a story alleging that interrogators at the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Quran, saying it would re-examine the accusations, which sparked outrage and deadly protests in Afghanistan.

Fifteen people died and scores were injured in violence between protesters and security forces, leading to U.S. promises to investigate the allegations concerning its facility in Cuba. After Muslim leaders in several countries assailed the U.S. over the allegations, Pentagon officials blamed Newsweek for the flare-up and accused it of "irresponsible" reporting.

"We regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst," Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker wrote in a note to readers in the issue that goes on sale at newsstands today.

[snip]

[Steely Tom]

Newsweek ... has apologized for errors in a story ... saying it would re-examine the accusations

In other words, "give us a second chance to get our facts straight."

(steely)

[DCPatriot]

In fairness, all circulation of dailies are down because many folks...like Freepers...get their news on-line.

[goldstategop]

Oh puhleeaze! Its only in the last few years that news consumers have gotten respect. For a long time, the media has treated them as Rodney Dangerfields - you know if contempt, disdain and indifference cause they had nowhere to go. Its finally changing. I don't think ABC's David Westin gets it. There's a whole new world of which the media honchos are clueless.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[harpu]

"There are an awful lot of dedicated journalists out there doing first-rate work every day of the year, often at great personal risk. We have a lot to be proud of. But, in the end, the strength of our work lies entirely in the eye of the beholder, our readers and viewers. If we want to serve as the news outlets for the millions of people who historically have turned to us each day, then we will need to go beyond mastering the new ways of reaching our audiences. We need to demonstrate to the American people, relentlessly, a quality of journalism so great that everyone recognizes it and no one can deny it. That way, when people look at all the myriad alternatives for their news, they will choose us -- no longer because they lack any viable alternative but increasingly because, despite the alternatives, they value what we have to report."...David Weston

Hmmmm...no where in this article is the worth 'Truth' used.

[PeterPrinciple]

Why is it that fewer people are getting their news from our major newspapers or from the broadcast evening news? It's certainly not because they've lost their value

Yes they have lost their value because I believe very little of it.

[harpu]

oops...worth = word