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I realize that yellow journalism originated many years ago, but most legitimate news sources used to report the news without giving their own opinion on the news. That's what they are supposed to do, I thought. My major in college was originally journalism. When I sat in Reporting I class in the summer of 1977, I was told that opinions belong on the opinion page, that I was to report the news and only the news, not what I thought about it or felt about it...that I was not supposed to put a slant on the story, but just report the facts...that it didn't matter what my particular views on the topic were, I was there to get the story and report it, not react to it...that anything that was unsubstantiated could not be reported as if it were fact...that unnamed/anonymous sources could be used but it's best to limit that to one source per article and then have several named sources as well, as a quote from an unnamed source is less credible than a quote from a named source...that you never rat out an anonymous source and you refuse to tell anyone who your source is if they spoke on condition of anonymity; even if you are taken to court you do not reveal your source...that certain things are off limits.
I'm not saying it's one side of the other. I think the media tends to be liberal so we see more biased journalism for the left, but it happens on the right too. What is with all the biased journalists? Did they forget what they learned in journalism school, or have the rules changed and I didn't know it?
A liberal media scientific study out said this is the most biased media campaign in US history. It is along the lines of when Saddam was up for "re-election" in Iraq! The media is attacking McCain and Palin with so many twisted facts and lies it is untterly amazing. A recent study done by a liberal OWNED media wathdog group concluded the media, hollywood, print, nationwide has been 91% in favor of Obama and has an organized effort to make sure he wins. They said although they support Obama, they disagree with curent media tactics as it is unamerican. For a liberal entity to say this, gains my respect......some.
I think all media tends to lean left, not because they don't like republicans, but because protection of the first amendment is a more liberal ideal. If you want the truth in news, you want lack of censorship, and that is a democratic ideal. As a result, news orgainizations lean that way. I don't mind it too much, as long as they are straight forward about it. MSNBC is admittedly Democratic. Fox News meanwhile, acts as though they are "Fair and Balanced" and the sad thing is that people believe that. I watch CNN, because they tend to always have one republican and one democrat that are equally matched sparring on the issues, and otherwise, Wolf Blitzer is not easy to see putting any kind of spin on a story.
Not sure if those screen grabs are real. If so-- horrible.
That said, I think objectivity went out the window when media firms and big corporations BOUGHT the media. In most cases, you can trace the slant back to the the politics of the parent companies. Much like the Hearst empire in the early 20th Century. Probably much like forever.
If I were king, there would be no private ownership of the local and national nightly news. Neither would be "sponsored" by commercials. And both would also be exempt from calculating ratings during the Nielsens. No news show should be "the most highly rated" in viewership-- it puts an unnatural pressure on the news to sensationalize and report the most rubber-necking gruesome events instead of events that impact the majority of their viewing area.
A liberal media scientific study out said this is the most biased media campaign in US history. It is along the lines of when Saddam was up for "re-election" in Iraq! The media is attacking McCain and Palin with so many twisted facts and lies it is untterly amazing. A recent study done by a liberal OWNED media wathdog group concluded the media, hollywood, print, nationwide has been 91% in favor of Obama and has an organized effort to make sure he wins. They said although they support Obama, they disagree with curent media tactics as it is unamerican. For a liberal entity to say this, gains my respect......some.
what lies? They report the news. that's like seeing someone trip and fall, and instead of paying attention to them, you knock someone else down for the sole reason of symmetry. it doesn't make sense and the McCain campaign is only complaining because they are down in the polls and making daily gaffes as the election draws near.
just a few stories i saw on msnbc obama attacked by clinton clinton attacked by obama, biden attacks clinton and obama, mccain attacks obama, obama attacks mccain, obama can't close the deal, mccain is the comeback kid, sarah palin delivers the best speech of the conventions, bachman melts down before my eyes, obama supporter is chided for not knowing one good thing he supports about Obama, i guess if you are not looking for stories or you are not listening, you only hear what you want to hear
I realize that yellow journalism originated many years ago, but most legitimate news sources used to report the news without giving their own opinion on the news. That's what they are supposed to do, I thought. My major in college was originally journalism. When I sat in Reporting I class in the summer of 1977, I was told that opinions belong on the opinion page, that I was to report the news and only the news, not what I thought about it or felt about it...that I was not supposed to put a slant on the story, but just report the facts...that it didn't matter what my particular views on the topic were, I was there to get the story and report it, not react to it...that anything that was unsubstantiated could not be reported as if it were fact...that unnamed/anonymous sources could be used but it's best to limit that to one source per article and then have several named sources as well, as a quote from an unnamed source is less credible than a quote from a named source...that you never rat out an anonymous source and you refuse to tell anyone who your source is if they spoke on condition of anonymity; even if you are taken to court you do not reveal your source...that certain things are off limits.
I'm not saying it's one side of the other. I think the media tends to be liberal so we see more biased journalism for the left, but it happens on the right too. What is with all the biased journalists? Did they forget what they learned in journalism school, or have the rules changed and I didn't know it?
1. Ownership - too many are own by groups that are only profit/marketshare driven. Research is costly, and can not be done at the rate needed for todays instant up to the second news.
2. No Longer local - New York newspapers on Michigan news stand. USAToday everywhere, everyday. The internet. Cable (CNN & FoxNews).
[we don't even have local cbs news on ota TV]
3. Being FIRST is more important then being RIGHT.
Everybody wants to bring the breaking story, The Alert.
You run the story, and keep talking about it, over and over, and if your wrong....you just drop it. (talk radio does this alot)
4. Too many Producers want to make their mark in the industry today, not tommorrow. They choose most of the material that the newsreader reports on.
5. Too many newsreaders want to be STARS. They want to be the story. [ this seems more common today, with the younger 'reporters' then with some of the older ones.
There has never been purely "objective" journalism. While there may have been some reasonably objective articles written over time, journalist are human and humans are subject to their own beliefs and opinions.
Look back at some archived late 1800's early 1900's articles and you will see what I mean.
However, today, journalism is more marketing than anything, as it is hard to escape when everything is dependent upon profit margins. Objectivity does not sell in today's atmosphere, sensationalism on the other hand does, and they are ALL guilty of it.
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