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Solid · 08-16-2005, 09:13

TR:
I agree with you there. Those reporters who are genuinely imbedded are doing a very brave thing, and, in my eyes, the right thing. Those that are reporting 'public wisdom' from a suite, especially public wisdom which hurts a wareffort, rank low in my books. What I was really aiming to do with my argument was to play devil's advocate and point out some 'market driven' problems in reporting which are pretty hard to control for the reporters on the ground.

I also very much agree that it is the public's job, as it is in any situation, to critique the organization that they feel is doing poorly.

In hindsight, I would suggest a different angle: the job of critiquing those reports from the field should first fall to the editors and newspaper owners. While they respond to market pressures, they are also the ones who shape the news their newspapers sell. Currently, as you correctly point out, they minimize the reporting on views outside of their spectrum (like good news coming out of Iraq). If they were to make an effort to get good, high quality news which creates a better information picture on Iraq or Astan, I think that the competition would have to follow suit, as would freelance reporters etc.

Interestingly, in my studies I engaged several professors (some right, some left, most center) of public policy at my school in conversation over the general political proclivities of the media. The majority suggested that with proper critical faculties and people reading more than one news source, the view that would result would be largely centrist. The problem is that people don't necessarily have the time of proclivity to read more than one paper from a different political viewpoint- so many leftists pick their leftist rag and rightists their rightist rag and remain happily ignorant to the otherside of the story. At least, this was what the professors said.

As always, this is just my opinion, and is as ever subject to change.

Thanks for the critique TR, and TS- I'm still learning how to construct the perfect defensive perimeter, and thanks for the advise!

Have a good afternoon,

Solid

08-16-2005, 09:13	#7
Solid Guerrilla Chief Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NC Posts: 995	TR: I agree with you there. Those reporters who are genuinely imbedded are doing a very brave thing, and, in my eyes, the right thing. Those that are reporting 'public wisdom' from a suite, especially public wisdom which hurts a wareffort, rank low in my books. What I was really aiming to do with my argument was to play devil's advocate and point out some 'market driven' problems in reporting which are pretty hard to control for the reporters on the ground. I also very much agree that it is the public's job, as it is in any situation, to critique the organization that they feel is doing poorly. In hindsight, I would suggest a different angle: the job of critiquing those reports from the field should first fall to the editors and newspaper owners. While they respond to market pressures, they are also the ones who shape the news their newspapers sell. Currently, as you correctly point out, they minimize the reporting on views outside of their spectrum (like good news coming out of Iraq). If they were to make an effort to get good, high quality news which creates a better information picture on Iraq or Astan, I think that the competition would have to follow suit, as would freelance reporters etc. Interestingly, in my studies I engaged several professors (some right, some left, most center) of public policy at my school in conversation over the general political proclivities of the media. The majority suggested that with proper critical faculties and people reading more than one news source, the view that would result would be largely centrist. The problem is that people don't necessarily have the time of proclivity to read more than one paper from a different political viewpoint- so many leftists pick their leftist rag and rightists their rightist rag and remain happily ignorant to the otherside of the story. At least, this was what the professors said. As always, this is just my opinion, and is as ever subject to change. Thanks for the critique TR, and TS- I'm still learning how to construct the perfect defensive perimeter, and thanks for the advise! Have a good afternoon, Solid Last edited by Solid; 08-16-2005 at 09:20.
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