[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Instead of programs that reflected old-fashioned British virtues (like common sense), the World Service adopted an all-news-and-analysis format meant to reflect modern British values — things like "oneness" and tolerance and, lately, a disdain for all things formerly British, like an instinctive trust in the Atlantic alliance.

Normally, news-oriented programming at a time when British and Americans are involved in a war would be welcome. But the World Service's revision of focus also coincided unhappily with a key decision announced early in March, as events in Iraq grew hot, by the BBC's controller of editorial policy, Stephen Whittle. It was Whittle's wish that corporation broadcasts specifically reflect antiwar opinion. Imposing a point of view on events before they unfold is a bit audacious. But it was done, and as a result, the Whittle Rule had far-reaching, although not perhaps unintended, consequences.

Notes from the Previous War: Bizarro Broadcasting Company [BBC].

But of course the truth is that journalism's superficial complaining is exactly such a point of view, systematically imposed on the reporting of events.

Imposing a point of view on events before they unfold is "a bit audacious" only in the sense thay you are likely to look foolish if the blinkered reporting that results iscompared retrospecitvely with the actual flow of events. Consequently it is the general policy of the journalist never to engage in a discussion which threatens to make that comparison too directly and too publicly.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Journalists vaunt their objectivity, but the dirty little secret is that

A certain perspective is embedded

in journalism's very definition.

Commercial, free, competitive journalism is in fact one of the complaining professions, just as much as plaintiff lawyering or liberal politicing is.

"Any fool can criticize, and most fools do."

The conceit that "it's (always) patriotic to criticize the government" can only seem sensible to someone who presumes that he is wise, and the status quo was created by a fool. In fact of course the status quo was created by many people, most of them far wiser than those who blythely accept the job of criticizing their betters--and on short deadline, at that.