[conservativeharleyguy]

"...In principle "the press" is not an entity but many diverse and contentious people publishing their opinions..."

I have to disagree. The way I see it; in principle "the press" is not an entity but many diverse and contentious people who should only be concerned with publishing facts.

That's the difference between news and opinion journalism. The problem lies when opinions and prejudices are deliberately passed off by reporters, and willingly accepted as facts by the public. That's where bias overcomes news.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I have to disagree. The way I see it; in principle "the press" is not an entity but many diverse and contentious people who should only be concerned with publishing facts.

Helen Thomas would agree. I would not - because Big Journalism presumes to define "facts." In the tendentious way which admits of the idea of ressurection of the "fairness" doctrine for the purpose of suppressing Rush Limbaugh on grounds that his program is "opinion." Of course Limbaugh's program is driven by his opinions; he is very open about that.

That's the difference between news and opinion journalism. The problem lies when opinions and prejudices are deliberately passed off by reporters, and willingly accepted as facts by the public. That's where bias overcomes news.

No, the difference between news and opinion is only in the minds of the suckers who fall for the con. The con is not only the claim of accuracy - when in fact "news" is, at least sometimes, based on rumor or even on fraud - but the con is also the claim of objectivity.

The crucial point is that story selection - what is on the front page, what's buried somewhere in the middle of the paper, and what isn't even reported at all - can mean that even a factual report may be "half the truth," and "a great lie."