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shakran · 02-13-2004, 07:37 AM

OK here are the problems with your argument. They all stem from the fact that you lack a basic knowledge of how journalists work.

In the first place you're blaming the journalists. That's the wrong place to look. You want to blame the news directors and their superiors. News directors are rarely trained in journalism. More often, they have a business degree. Why is that significant? Because they're looking for the stories that will make the station the biggest profit. Then they tell their reporters to go report on that, and if the reporter doesn't like it because it's not journalistically sound, the reporter gets shitcanned and replaced with someone who DOES like it.

Ever wonder why in Minnesota you'll see as the top story of the evening news cast a story about some kid who was beaten by a mob of other kids on the school bus. . in FLORIDA? Simple. It had graphic video of the kid getting his ass kicked, and some asshole news director decided that would attract viewers. And it probably worked.

Ever wonder why you see a reporter doing a live report in front of a dark building at 10pm where NOTHING is happening? It's called "live for the sake of live" and it's done to try and make the station appear that it's live on the scene, even if the scene actually occurred 12 hours ago. The news channel that appears to be live more often gets more viewers, in the mind of the news director businessman.

Journalists go through J-school and learn how to do it right. Then they get out in the real world and are told that doing it right is great and all, but if they want a paycheck, they'll do it the way their bosses want it done.

That's why Kerry's philandering is already front page - because people LOVE political sexual scandals IF it involves a democrat.

GWB's sexual assult has simply not been proven, there's not enough evidence, and whatever station broke the story would be facing a mammoth lawsuit. News stations don't like lawsuits any more because it eats into their profits.

the RICO suit was mentioned on NBC nightly news. It's not front page material - the suit is right now bullshit because she does not have actual evidence that what she alleged actually occurred.

as for "fair and balanced," that refers to Fox news, and there aren't a whole lot of people except for delusional ultra-conservatives that consider Fox news a reputable organization.

My point is that you came out and attacked the journalists. The journalists are by and large not at fault here. They want to report the news the way it should be reported, but right now very few organizations allow them the freedom to do that - National Public Radio is a shining exception to the commercialism of journalism, and I can assure you that the waiting list for journalists wanting to work for them is LONG because of their excellent coverage.

For the rest of the journalists who aren't so lucky, well they have to eat. They need to earn money and that means doing what their bosses tell them to do.

If you're going to come out and attack the journalists because they don't report the truth, then you should look into the journalism profession so that, in your attack on it, YOU report the truth.

02-13-2004, 07:37 AM	#10 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	OK here are the problems with your argument. They all stem from the fact that you lack a basic knowledge of how journalists work. In the first place you're blaming the journalists. That's the wrong place to look. You want to blame the news directors and their superiors. News directors are rarely trained in journalism. More often, they have a business degree. Why is that significant? Because they're looking for the stories that will make the station the biggest profit. Then they tell their reporters to go report on that, and if the reporter doesn't like it because it's not journalistically sound, the reporter gets shitcanned and replaced with someone who DOES like it. Ever wonder why in Minnesota you'll see as the top story of the evening news cast a story about some kid who was beaten by a mob of other kids on the school bus. . in FLORIDA? Simple. It had graphic video of the kid getting his ass kicked, and some asshole news director decided that would attract viewers. And it probably worked. Ever wonder why you see a reporter doing a live report in front of a dark building at 10pm where NOTHING is happening? It's called "live for the sake of live" and it's done to try and make the station appear that it's live on the scene, even if the scene actually occurred 12 hours ago. The news channel that appears to be live more often gets more viewers, in the mind of the news director businessman. Journalists go through J-school and learn how to do it right. Then they get out in the real world and are told that doing it right is great and all, but if they want a paycheck, they'll do it the way their bosses want it done. That's why Kerry's philandering is already front page - because people LOVE political sexual scandals IF it involves a democrat. GWB's sexual assult has simply not been proven, there's not enough evidence, and whatever station broke the story would be facing a mammoth lawsuit. News stations don't like lawsuits any more because it eats into their profits. the RICO suit was mentioned on NBC nightly news. It's not front page material - the suit is right now bullshit because she does not have actual evidence that what she alleged actually occurred. as for "fair and balanced," that refers to Fox news, and there aren't a whole lot of people except for delusional ultra-conservatives that consider Fox news a reputable organization. My point is that you came out and attacked the journalists. The journalists are by and large not at fault here. They want to report the news the way it should be reported, but right now very few organizations allow them the freedom to do that - National Public Radio is a shining exception to the commercialism of journalism, and I can assure you that the waiting list for journalists wanting to work for them is LONG because of their excellent coverage. For the rest of the journalists who aren't so lucky, well they have to eat. They need to earn money and that means doing what their bosses tell them to do. If you're going to come out and attack the journalists because they don't report the truth, then you should look into the journalism profession so that, in your attack on it, YOU report the truth.