Certainly it will be related to the quality of its nonfiction - of which journalism is a frail part.Journalism is inherently frail as nonficition because of its deadline pressure. First reports are often wrong, which is what makes broadcast "breaking news" such a tenuous source to rely on. And journalism is frail as nonfiction because the deadline pressure is not only to get the story accurate today, the pressure is to get stories which will sell newspapers today. Whether or not anything happened yesterday that actually bears comparison with the sinking of the Titanic.
I insist that our chief problem lies in convincing people that journalism vastly overhypes itself. Which is hardly something which should be surprising, when you think about it that way . . .
It's a problem that will never be solved........ because everyday electronic media (opinion forming media/advertising/news/entertainment) increases it's never-ending powerful incessant message..... and much of that message is that the media/journalism can be trusted. How convenient. ;-)
That chief problem of which you speak is not going anywhere any time soon!
Yes, journalism is no longer a commitment, it's a product. I had an e-mail exchange for a few days with an editor from my daily paper. There was a Weds/Thurs period in 2002, I think, where Greenspan gave a state of the economy presentation for the House, then the Senate. The theme of the AP reporting for the first appearance (seen online) was that deficits were not good, therefore W should forget his tax cuts. You didn't get that message from the transcript.
This AP release made the Thurs paper. During Greenspan's Thursday appearance, he was asked specifically about this issue. He said no, that he supported tax cuts and that if deficits became an issue he would recommend spending cuts. Greenspan was very clear. I saw the AP release online Thurs after his testimony. This directly contradicted the prior day's reporting.
It didn't appear in Friday's paper...I e-mailed and asked why. An editor responded that they didn't have room. I replied that the reporting in sum left not only an inaccurate but a misleading message. He dodged that issue on his reply.
If you see the advertising that newspapers and TV newscasts offer you conclude they set the bar pretty high. They overpromise and underdeliver. The definition of a lie?
lie 2 (l)
n.
1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.
v. lied, ly·ing (lng), lies
v.intr.
1. To present false information with the intention of deceiving.
2. To convey a false image or impression: Appearances often lie.