Hi. I'm not saying that any law says reports/journalists, etc have to be fair and objective. Truth be told, if you go back a hundred years, newspapers were always highly ideological and sensational.
But I do think that we have a "right", legally and morally, to complain and air our disgust when print or electronic news people who pretend to be "reporters" are overtly biased.
Look, Rush Limbaugh and his protegees get on the air and say "I'm a right winger and this is my take on events". Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich, Will, Krauthammer are columnists who are giving opinions.
Way back when I took journalism classes, they taught that news writers/reporters were supposed to speak in an objective voice etc. Editorialism is a diff standard. So when the Times headlines "Sunni's Fail to Stop Constitution", or Assoc Press in a news release says "yielding to extreme right wing opposition, an embarrassed Pres Bush w/draws Miers"[not a direct quote]
do I have a right to be pissed, sure...
I think I had read that Novak said he would tell us all who his source was after the Special Counsel was done.Well tap tap tap we are waiting for you Mr Novak!
. . . But I do think that we have a "right", legally and morally, to complain and air our disgust when print or electronic news people who pretend to be "reporters" are overtly biased.
My point is that legally we have the right to complain because we have First Amendment freedom. Morally we have a right to complain like any other sucker when we have been conned; if it is about a newspaper having a partisan perspective shining through on the front page we have no legal recourse. But when broadcaster says, backed by the imprimatur of the government, that that broadcaster is objective, there is a real legal issue in play.The truth is that we actually know that no one is objective, which is why the First Amendment makes so much sense. And why no one should be licensed by the government to "objectively" tell us "what is going on." When Krauthammer et al say they are conservative, and then give their opinion, that is honest. But most liberals don't do that, they say "I'm objective" and then they tell whatever whopper they think they might get by with. And they do so in cahoots with all the other "objective" journalists.