Another News Media Failure
America was attacked and is fighting a war in Iraq because the Clinton Administration failed to prevent an enemy from growing to where it was a threat to the whole world.
The news media failed to expose the sexual encounters and corruption of Clinton before he was elected president, thus the news media is covered in the blood of those who were the victims of the Islamic terrorists in America and other nations.
The real question is whether the news media is the propaganda wing of the democratic party or the democratic party is the political wing of the news media.
There is a cultural war in America between Christians and Atheists. This war is being fought on the battlefield of politics. The battles are in the voting booth. The prize in the cultural war is the hearts, minds and souls of the children. The Atheistic liberal news media greatly influences both domestic and foreign policy by constantly reporting only bad news about Christians, conservatives and Republicans and only good news about atheists, liberals and democrats. The agenda of the Atheistic liberal news media is to promote extreme environmentalism, socialism, feminism, pornography, abortion, homosexuality and the Atheistic Lifestyle by having democrats in control of government.
------------------------------
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0907/5992.html
Clinton campaign kills negative story
By: Ben Smith
Sep 24, 2007 03:43 PM EST
Updated: September 24, 2007 09:39 PM EST
Early this summer, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign for president learned that the men's magazine GQ was working on a story the campaign was sure to hate: an account of infighting in Hillaryland.
So Clinton's aides pulled a page from the book of Hollywood publicists and offered GQ a stark choice: Kill the piece, or lose access to planned celebrity coverboy Bill Clinton.
Despite internal protests, GQ editor Jim Nelson met the Clinton campaign's demands, which had been delivered by Bill Clinton's spokesman, Jay Carson, several sources familiar with the conversations said.
GQ writer George Saunders traveled with Clinton to Africa in July, and Clinton is slated to appear on the cover of GQ's December issue, in which it traditionally names a "Man of the Year," according magazine industry sources.
And the offending article by Atlantic Monthly staff writer Josh Green got the spike.
"I don't really get into the inner workings of the magazine, but I can tell you that yes, we did kill a Hillary piece. We kill pieces all the time for a variety of reasons," Nelson said in an e-mail to Politico.
He did not respond to follow-up questions. A Clinton campaign spokesman declined to comment.
The campaign's transaction with GQ opens a curtain on the Clinton campaign's hard-nosed media strategy, which is far closer in its unromantic view of the press to the campaigns of George W. Bush than to that of Bill Clinton's free-wheeling 1992 campaign.
There's little left to chance. Hillary Clinton may have an unparalleled campaign "war room" — but there aren't any documentary film-makers wandering around this one, and lovers of the D.A. Pennebaker film "The War Room" can rest assured they aren't getting a sequel.
The spiked GQ story also shows how the Clinton campaign has been able to use its access to the most important commodity in media — celebrity, and in fact two bona fide celebrities — to shape not just what gets written about the candidate, but also what doesn't.
There's nothing unusual about providing extra access to candidates to reporters seen as sympathetic, and cutting off those seen as hostile to a campaign.
The 2004 Bush campaign banned a New York Times reporter from Vice President Dick Cheney's jet, and Sen. Barack Obama threatened to bar Fox News reporters from campaign travel.
But a retreat of the sort GQ is alleged to have made is unusual, particularly as part of what sources described as a barely veiled transaction of editorial leverage for access.
The Clinton campaign is unique in its ability to provide cash value to the media, and particularly the celebrity-driven precincts of television and magazines. Bill Clinton is a favorite cover figure, because his face is viewed within the magazine industry as one that can move product. (Indeed, Green's own magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, ran as its October cover story "Bill Clinton's campaign to save the world.")
It's a fact that gives the Clintons' press aides a leverage more familiar to Hollywood publicists than even to her political rivals — less Mitt Romney and more Tom Cruise, whose publicists once required interviewers to sign a statement pledging not to write anything "derogatory" about the star.
The Clinton campaign has more sway with television networks than any rival. At the time Clinton launched her campaign, the networks' hunger for interviews had her all over the morning and evening news broadcasts of every network — after her aides negotiated agreements limiting producers' abilities to edit the interviews.
This past weekend, she pulled off another rare feat — sitting for interviews with all the major Sunday talk shows. In most cases, the Sunday shows will reject guests who have appeared on competing shows.
Clinton's team is also unusually aggressive in moving to smother potentially damaging storylines, as last spring when Wolfson and other aides took aim at an unflattering book by writers Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr.
GQ describes itself as "the definitive guide to fashion and grooming," but also has a history of carrying groundbreaking reporting and long-form writing.
This presidential cycle, it has commissioned pieces from well-regarded Washington magazine writers on the presidential candidates, including a piece by Ryan Lizza, now of the New Yorker, on Barack Obama.
Green was not a particular favorite of the Clinton campaign, however. He took the assignment from GQ not long after finishing an unflattering 13,000-word profile in the November 2006 Atlantic Monthly, which concluded that the junior Senator from New York is, more or less, a timid, calculating pol.
"Today Clinton offers no big ideas, no crusading causes — by her own tacit admission, no evidence of bravery in the service of a larger ideal. Instead, her Senate record is an assemblage of many, many small gains.
Her real accomplishment in the Senate has been to rehabilitate the image and political career of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Impressive though that has been in its particulars, it makes for a rather thin claim on the presidency. Senator Clinton has plenty to talk about, but she doesn't have much to say," he wrote.
The next spring, according to people with the story and sources Green spoke to, he spent digging into the tensions within Hillary Clinton's campaign — widely speculated about among reporters, but at the same time notoriously difficult to report from a political circle known for keeping internal disputes inside the family.
In particular, a source familiar with Green's story said, he had focused on internal criticism of the campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle.
Green had also asked questions about the pay package of the campaign's communications director, Howard Wolfson, who is technically a consultant and left a lucrative communications practice in New York City to take the job, and whose compensation is the subject of speculation within the campaign. (Speculation about Wolfson's compensation, sources said, was not in Green's final GQ draft.)
Green approached the Clinton campaign to discuss the details of the story, which he described to Wolfson over dinner at a downtown Washington, D.C. restaurant, a source familiar with the conversations said.
Soon after that, Carson, who is now Hillary Clinton's traveling press secretary, told GQ that the former president would not cooperate with Saunders' planned profile if Green's piece ran.
Green declined to comment on the fate of his story, referring questions to GQ and to Carson. Carson declined to comment on his discussions with GQ.
Green and GQ's features editor, Joel Lovell, argued for rebuffing the Clinton campaigns demands, sources said, but Nelson made the final call to kill the story.
Saunders, the Syracuse novelist who is writing the Clinton story for GQ, declined to discuss his story, citing GQ policy.
He told the Syracuse Post-Standard in July that he was planning to travel with the former president to tour Clinton Foundation projects in Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and South Africa and said he'd voted for Bill Clinton twice.
"It seems like [Clinton's] gift, one of his gifts, is everybody likes him and knows him, so he can get people in a room and make things happen," Saunders told the Syracuse paper. "I just like the idea that at this elderly stage of life, you can go and get your doors blown off."
Asked by Politico if he was interested in hearing how his access to Clinton was procured, he demurred.
"I don't think I want to know," he said.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Reckless and Malicious
Reckless and Malicious
There are just too many stories of how the news media wrecks the lives of people to allow this to continue. If a Code of Ethics were put in place, journalists would at least have to think before they jump to conclusions and print lies.
----------------------------------------
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/08/29/jewell_0830.html
Richard Jewell found dead in home
Olympic security guard suspected but cleared in bombing
By MIKE MORRIS, JEFFRY SCOTT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/29/07
Richard Jewell, the former security guard once suspected of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing — then cleared — died at his home Wednesday morning in Woodbury.
For the past three years, Jewell, 44, worked as a deputy sheriff for the Meriwether County Sheriff's department, said Sheriff Steve Whitlock. He said Jewell had been out on medical leave.
Richard Jewell
Meriwether County coroner Johnny Worley said Jewell's wife, Dana, discovered him unconscious at about 10:30 a.m. Worley said an autopsy would be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to determine how Jewell died, but there was "no suspicion of foul play.
"He had been having some pretty serious medical problems," Worley said.
He said Jewell had been diagnosed with diabetes in February and had a couple of toes amputated. "He had been going downhill ever since," Worley said.
Whitlock described Jewell as "a good officer. A go-getter."
"You know how they say people live their work. Richard ate and drank his job. He loved it," Whitlock said.
Jewell was initially lauded as a hero after a bomb went off on July 27, 1996, during an Olympic celebration in Atlanta. He called attention to the suspicious knapsack that held a bomb and helped evacuate the area.
Days later, he became the FBI's chief suspect, as The Atlanta Journal Constitution and other media outlets reported. The FBI cleared Jewell of any wrongdoing. He was never charged with a crime.
Eric Robert Rudolph pleaded guilty to the bombing in 2005 and is serving life in prison for it and other attacks.
After he was cleared, Jewell sued the AJC and other media outlets for libel, arguing that their reports defamed him. Several news organizations settled, including NBC and CNN.
The Journal-Constitution did not settle. The newspaper has contended that at the time it published its reports Jewell was a suspect, so the articles were accurate. The newspaper also has asserted that it was not reckless or malicious in its reports regarding Jewell. Much of Jewell's case was dismissed last year. One claim, based on reports about a 911 call, is pending trial.
However, Jewell's death Wednesday "is not a day to consider lawsuits, rather a day to pay respect," said John Mellott, AJC publisher.
"Richard Jewell was a hero, as we all came to learn," Mellott said. "The story of how Mr. Jewell moved from a suspect in the Centennial Park bombing to recognition as a security guard who averted a greater tragedy is one The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported fully even as it defended itself in a libel suit brought by him."
There are just too many stories of how the news media wrecks the lives of people to allow this to continue. If a Code of Ethics were put in place, journalists would at least have to think before they jump to conclusions and print lies.
----------------------------------------
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/08/29/jewell_0830.html
Richard Jewell found dead in home
Olympic security guard suspected but cleared in bombing
By MIKE MORRIS, JEFFRY SCOTT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/29/07
Richard Jewell, the former security guard once suspected of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing — then cleared — died at his home Wednesday morning in Woodbury.
For the past three years, Jewell, 44, worked as a deputy sheriff for the Meriwether County Sheriff's department, said Sheriff Steve Whitlock. He said Jewell had been out on medical leave.
Richard Jewell
Meriwether County coroner Johnny Worley said Jewell's wife, Dana, discovered him unconscious at about 10:30 a.m. Worley said an autopsy would be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to determine how Jewell died, but there was "no suspicion of foul play.
"He had been having some pretty serious medical problems," Worley said.
He said Jewell had been diagnosed with diabetes in February and had a couple of toes amputated. "He had been going downhill ever since," Worley said.
Whitlock described Jewell as "a good officer. A go-getter."
"You know how they say people live their work. Richard ate and drank his job. He loved it," Whitlock said.
Jewell was initially lauded as a hero after a bomb went off on July 27, 1996, during an Olympic celebration in Atlanta. He called attention to the suspicious knapsack that held a bomb and helped evacuate the area.
Days later, he became the FBI's chief suspect, as The Atlanta Journal Constitution and other media outlets reported. The FBI cleared Jewell of any wrongdoing. He was never charged with a crime.
Eric Robert Rudolph pleaded guilty to the bombing in 2005 and is serving life in prison for it and other attacks.
After he was cleared, Jewell sued the AJC and other media outlets for libel, arguing that their reports defamed him. Several news organizations settled, including NBC and CNN.
The Journal-Constitution did not settle. The newspaper has contended that at the time it published its reports Jewell was a suspect, so the articles were accurate. The newspaper also has asserted that it was not reckless or malicious in its reports regarding Jewell. Much of Jewell's case was dismissed last year. One claim, based on reports about a 911 call, is pending trial.
However, Jewell's death Wednesday "is not a day to consider lawsuits, rather a day to pay respect," said John Mellott, AJC publisher.
"Richard Jewell was a hero, as we all came to learn," Mellott said. "The story of how Mr. Jewell moved from a suspect in the Centennial Park bombing to recognition as a security guard who averted a greater tragedy is one The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported fully even as it defended itself in a libel suit brought by him."
Friday, August 17, 2007
Media Crackdown
Media Crackdown
At first glance this might appear to be a great tragedy because a basic Constitution Right of Freedom of the Press is being violate, but the real tragedy is that the news media deserves the crackdown.
All good things can be perverted, and the news media has perverted Freedom of the Press. It is good for the news media to expose corruption in government (or anywhere) but somewhere the news media adopted the idea that the purpose of the news media was to topple any government they do not like.
The news media has worked feverishly since 2004 to topple the Bush administration because Bush was elected as a Christian (homosexual marriage issue) and because Bush was fighting the Iraq war. Every person in the Bush Administration has been attacked by the news media.
Dan Rather used false documents to discredit President Bush and the News York Times committed treason to try to topple the Bush Administration. Other examples are discussed at http://narj-clirus.blogspot.com/
The Cultural War statement explains what is occurring.
There is a Cultural War in America between Christians and Atheists. This war is being fought on the battlefield of politics. The battles are in the voting booth. The prize in the cultural war is the hearts, minds and souls of the children. The Atheistic liberal news media greatly influences both domestic and foreign policy by constantly reporting only bad news about Christians, conservatives and Republicans and only good news about atheists, liberals and democrats. The agenda of the Atheistic liberal news media is to promote extreme environmentalism, socialism, feminism, pornography, abortion, homosexuality and the Atheistic Lifestyle by having democrats in control of government.
--------------------------------------------
From the NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 11:32 a.m. EDT
China Begins Media Crackdown
China has launched a broad crackdown on the nation's press, targeting what it calls false news reports and illegal publications as the Communist Party prepares for its October congress.
China is suffering from a spate of bad press reports abroad and at home over the safety of a number of Chinese products, including toys, toothpaste, tires and pet food. But the crackdown announced Wednesday ostensibly comes in response to two recent scandals, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In one case, a correspondent for Beijing Television reported that the makers of steamed pork buns were stuffing them with cardboard soaked in caustic soda. The government ruled that the story was concocted and sentenced the reporter to a year in jail.
In the second case, a journalist was beaten to death by thugs apparently while reporting about an illegal coal mine. Owners of illegal mines frequently blackmail journalists so that reports about their unlicensed operations don't get published, according to the Times.
Government officials "need to control the society to be on the safe side and avoid anything that might spoil the happy atmosphere of their meeting, Jin Zhong, chief editor of the Hong Kong-based Open magazine, told the Times.
"They don't like diverse opinions because they don't understand that debate is good for society."
According to the People's Daily, the crackdown will also take aim at illegal publications, including those that "fabricate political rumors."
The China Development Brief newsletter was shut down in July by the government, which claimed it was conducting "illegal surveys."
Chinese censors have listed 20 topics that are off limits to journalists before the October congress, including judicial corruption, individual rights campaigns, lifestyles of the rich, and extramarital affairs.
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
At first glance this might appear to be a great tragedy because a basic Constitution Right of Freedom of the Press is being violate, but the real tragedy is that the news media deserves the crackdown.
All good things can be perverted, and the news media has perverted Freedom of the Press. It is good for the news media to expose corruption in government (or anywhere) but somewhere the news media adopted the idea that the purpose of the news media was to topple any government they do not like.
The news media has worked feverishly since 2004 to topple the Bush administration because Bush was elected as a Christian (homosexual marriage issue) and because Bush was fighting the Iraq war. Every person in the Bush Administration has been attacked by the news media.
Dan Rather used false documents to discredit President Bush and the News York Times committed treason to try to topple the Bush Administration. Other examples are discussed at http://narj-clirus.blogspot.com/
The Cultural War statement explains what is occurring.
There is a Cultural War in America between Christians and Atheists. This war is being fought on the battlefield of politics. The battles are in the voting booth. The prize in the cultural war is the hearts, minds and souls of the children. The Atheistic liberal news media greatly influences both domestic and foreign policy by constantly reporting only bad news about Christians, conservatives and Republicans and only good news about atheists, liberals and democrats. The agenda of the Atheistic liberal news media is to promote extreme environmentalism, socialism, feminism, pornography, abortion, homosexuality and the Atheistic Lifestyle by having democrats in control of government.
--------------------------------------------
From the NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 11:32 a.m. EDT
China Begins Media Crackdown
China has launched a broad crackdown on the nation's press, targeting what it calls false news reports and illegal publications as the Communist Party prepares for its October congress.
China is suffering from a spate of bad press reports abroad and at home over the safety of a number of Chinese products, including toys, toothpaste, tires and pet food. But the crackdown announced Wednesday ostensibly comes in response to two recent scandals, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In one case, a correspondent for Beijing Television reported that the makers of steamed pork buns were stuffing them with cardboard soaked in caustic soda. The government ruled that the story was concocted and sentenced the reporter to a year in jail.
In the second case, a journalist was beaten to death by thugs apparently while reporting about an illegal coal mine. Owners of illegal mines frequently blackmail journalists so that reports about their unlicensed operations don't get published, according to the Times.
Government officials "need to control the society to be on the safe side and avoid anything that might spoil the happy atmosphere of their meeting, Jin Zhong, chief editor of the Hong Kong-based Open magazine, told the Times.
"They don't like diverse opinions because they don't understand that debate is good for society."
According to the People's Daily, the crackdown will also take aim at illegal publications, including those that "fabricate political rumors."
The China Development Brief newsletter was shut down in July by the government, which claimed it was conducting "illegal surveys."
Chinese censors have listed 20 topics that are off limits to journalists before the October congress, including judicial corruption, individual rights campaigns, lifestyles of the rich, and extramarital affairs.
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Viewsweek Magazine
Viewsweek Magazine
Too many times the news media publishes views and news. Maybe they should rename it Viewsweek.
-------------------------------------
From the NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Monday, Aug. 13, 2007 11:28 a.m. EDT
Newsweek Editor: Our Warming Story Contrived
A contributing editor at Newsweek magazine, Robert J. Samuelson, has sharply criticized his own publication for what he calls a "highly contrived" cover story about the global warming threat and the "denial machine" that seeks to debunk it.
In this week's issue of Newsweek, Samuelson writes: "As we debate it, journalists should resist the temptation to portray global warming as a morality tale – as Newsweek did – in which anyone who questions its gravity or proposed solutions may be ridiculed as a fool, a crank or an industry stooge."
He also writes: "Unfortunately, self-righteous indignation can undermine good journalism. Last week's Newsweek cover story on global warming is a sobering reminder. It's an object lesson of how viewing the world as ‘good guys vs. bad guys' can lead to a vast oversimplification of a messy story."
Samuelson summarizes the Newsweek cover story this way: "A well-coordinated, well-funded campaign by contrarian scientists, free-market think tanks and industry has created a paralyzing fog of doubt around climate chance. This ‘denial machine' has obstructed action against global warming ... The story's thrust: discredit the ‘denial machine,' and the country can start the serious business of fighting global warming."
He called the cover article "a peripheral and highly contrived story." For one thing, it implied that ExxonMobil, through a think tank, funded academics to criticize global warming science. But this charge "was long ago discredited, and Newsweek shouldn't have lent it respectability," Samuelson opined.
Marc Morano, communications director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, also slammed the Newsweek cover story, as NewsMax.com reported last week.
Following the publication of Samuelson's piece, he noted:
"Newsweek's management must have realized that their global warming ‘denial' cover story was so woeful that they were forced to run a complete rebuttal in the very next issue from one of their very own editors ... This kind of reversal does not happen very often in journalism."
Morano said a Senate report is scheduled to be released in the fall that will feature hundreds of scientists "who have spoken out recently against [Al] Gore, the U.N., and the media-driven climate ‘consensus.'"
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
Too many times the news media publishes views and news. Maybe they should rename it Viewsweek.
-------------------------------------
From the NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Monday, Aug. 13, 2007 11:28 a.m. EDT
Newsweek Editor: Our Warming Story Contrived
A contributing editor at Newsweek magazine, Robert J. Samuelson, has sharply criticized his own publication for what he calls a "highly contrived" cover story about the global warming threat and the "denial machine" that seeks to debunk it.
In this week's issue of Newsweek, Samuelson writes: "As we debate it, journalists should resist the temptation to portray global warming as a morality tale – as Newsweek did – in which anyone who questions its gravity or proposed solutions may be ridiculed as a fool, a crank or an industry stooge."
He also writes: "Unfortunately, self-righteous indignation can undermine good journalism. Last week's Newsweek cover story on global warming is a sobering reminder. It's an object lesson of how viewing the world as ‘good guys vs. bad guys' can lead to a vast oversimplification of a messy story."
Samuelson summarizes the Newsweek cover story this way: "A well-coordinated, well-funded campaign by contrarian scientists, free-market think tanks and industry has created a paralyzing fog of doubt around climate chance. This ‘denial machine' has obstructed action against global warming ... The story's thrust: discredit the ‘denial machine,' and the country can start the serious business of fighting global warming."
He called the cover article "a peripheral and highly contrived story." For one thing, it implied that ExxonMobil, through a think tank, funded academics to criticize global warming science. But this charge "was long ago discredited, and Newsweek shouldn't have lent it respectability," Samuelson opined.
Marc Morano, communications director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, also slammed the Newsweek cover story, as NewsMax.com reported last week.
Following the publication of Samuelson's piece, he noted:
"Newsweek's management must have realized that their global warming ‘denial' cover story was so woeful that they were forced to run a complete rebuttal in the very next issue from one of their very own editors ... This kind of reversal does not happen very often in journalism."
Morano said a Senate report is scheduled to be released in the fall that will feature hundreds of scientists "who have spoken out recently against [Al] Gore, the U.N., and the media-driven climate ‘consensus.'"
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
Friday, August 10, 2007
US public sees news media as biased, inaccurate, uncaring
Another indication of the need for a code of ethic for journalists.
http://narj-clirus.blogspot.com/
------------------------------
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070809222839.jzdcwmy8&show_article=1
US public sees news media as biased, inaccurate, uncaring: poll
Aug 9 06:28 PM US/Eastern
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on, a poll published Thursday showed.
And poll respondents who use the Internet as their main source of news -- roughly one quarter of all Americans -- were even harsher with their criticism, the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center said.
More than two-thirds of the Internet users said they felt that news organizations don't care about the people they report on; 59 percent said their reporting was inaccurate; and 64 percent they were politically biased.
More than half -- 53 percent -- of Internet users also faulted the news organizations for "failing to stand up for America".
Among those who get their news from newspapers and television, criticism of the news organizations was up to 20 percentage points lower than among Internet news audiences, who tend to be younger and better educated than the public as a whole, according to Pew.
The poll indicates an across the board fall in the public's opinion on the news media since 1985, when a similar survey was conducted by Times Mirror, Pew Research said.
"Two decades ago, public attitudes about how news organizations do their job were less negative. Most people believed that news organizations stood up for America... a majority believed that news organizations got the facts straight," Pew said in a report.
The Washington-based Pew Research Center describes itself as a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.
http://narj-clirus.blogspot.com/
------------------------------
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070809222839.jzdcwmy8&show_article=1
US public sees news media as biased, inaccurate, uncaring: poll
Aug 9 06:28 PM US/Eastern
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on, a poll published Thursday showed.
And poll respondents who use the Internet as their main source of news -- roughly one quarter of all Americans -- were even harsher with their criticism, the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center said.
More than two-thirds of the Internet users said they felt that news organizations don't care about the people they report on; 59 percent said their reporting was inaccurate; and 64 percent they were politically biased.
More than half -- 53 percent -- of Internet users also faulted the news organizations for "failing to stand up for America".
Among those who get their news from newspapers and television, criticism of the news organizations was up to 20 percentage points lower than among Internet news audiences, who tend to be younger and better educated than the public as a whole, according to Pew.
The poll indicates an across the board fall in the public's opinion on the news media since 1985, when a similar survey was conducted by Times Mirror, Pew Research said.
"Two decades ago, public attitudes about how news organizations do their job were less negative. Most people believed that news organizations stood up for America... a majority believed that news organizations got the facts straight," Pew said in a report.
The Washington-based Pew Research Center describes itself as a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Randy Cohen
Randy Cohen
The problem with Randy Cohen's thinking is that the news media is a powerful position that can very definitely influence where America goes. I believe Randy Cohen knows his power, has a position and produces propaganda that supports his position.
Propaganda is not truth, because it presents only one side of a story by including certain information and excluding other information..
I believe Randy Cohen would present only negative stories about the Boys Scout because Randy Cohen supports homosexuality. I believe Randy Cohen would present only negative stories about the Catholic church because Randy Cohen supports abortion. I believe Randy Cohen would present only negative stories about Christians, Conservatives and Republicans because Randy Cohen supports homosexuality and abortion.
Since Randy Cohen is not presenting truth, but rather position and belief, he should not be employed as a news journalist, but rather as an opinion journalist. As a private citizen Randy Cohen can do anything he wants, but not as a journalist.
Maybe news anchors need to start each broadcast by stating, "I am an Atheist, who hates Republicans, now on to the news".
I believe that everyone in America has an opinion, thus the only real way to present news is to have two or more people present their opinion on every news story. The PBS NewsHour is doing this with most issues they discuss.
PS: Maybe I should have started this discussion by stating I am a Christian, Conservative, Republican.
-----------------------------
By Bill Dedman
Investigative reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 5:08 p.m. ET June 25, 2007
TV reporter who supported candidate is out, Cartoonist also let go, and newspaper drops column by Times ethicist
Reporter Calvert Collins, right, is no longer working at an Omaha TV station. MSNBC.com published on Thursday this photo from Facebook.com of her posing with Democratic congressional candidate Jim Esch. She was listed in federal records as giving $500 to Esch, and she urged her friends to vote for him.
------------------------------
The Ethicist - Randy Cohen
Randy Cohen, who writes "The Ethicist" for The New York Times, says donations to MoveOn.org should be allowed if it's OK to give to the Boy Scouts or the Roman Catholic Church. The newspaper in Spokane, Wash., decided on Thursday to drop the ethics column of Randy Cohen, who writes "The Ethicist" for The New York Times. The paper had been scheduled to begin carrying the column this weekend.
"Had he been a Spokesman-Review staff member, he would have faced suspension, at least, for his misstep," editor Steven A. Smith explained. "So, we're dropping the column. We'll look elsewhere for a publishable ethicist."
Cohen had given $585 to MoveOn.org in 2004, when it was organizing get-out-the-vote efforts to defeat Bush. Cohen at first told MSNBC.com that he thought of donating to MoveOn.org as no more out of bounds than giving to the Boy Scouts.
"We admire those colleagues who participate in their communities — help out at the local school, work with Little League, donate to charity," Cohen said in an e-mail. "But no such activity is or can be non-ideological. Few papers would object to a journalist donating to the Boy Scouts or joining the Catholic Church. But the former has an official policy of discriminating against gay children; the latter has views on reproductive rights far more restrictive than those of most Americans. Should reporters be forbidden to support those groups? I'd say not."
The problem with Randy Cohen's thinking is that the news media is a powerful position that can very definitely influence where America goes. I believe Randy Cohen knows his power, has a position and produces propaganda that supports his position.
Propaganda is not truth, because it presents only one side of a story by including certain information and excluding other information..
I believe Randy Cohen would present only negative stories about the Boys Scout because Randy Cohen supports homosexuality. I believe Randy Cohen would present only negative stories about the Catholic church because Randy Cohen supports abortion. I believe Randy Cohen would present only negative stories about Christians, Conservatives and Republicans because Randy Cohen supports homosexuality and abortion.
Since Randy Cohen is not presenting truth, but rather position and belief, he should not be employed as a news journalist, but rather as an opinion journalist. As a private citizen Randy Cohen can do anything he wants, but not as a journalist.
Maybe news anchors need to start each broadcast by stating, "I am an Atheist, who hates Republicans, now on to the news".
I believe that everyone in America has an opinion, thus the only real way to present news is to have two or more people present their opinion on every news story. The PBS NewsHour is doing this with most issues they discuss.
PS: Maybe I should have started this discussion by stating I am a Christian, Conservative, Republican.
-----------------------------
By Bill Dedman
Investigative reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 5:08 p.m. ET June 25, 2007
TV reporter who supported candidate is out, Cartoonist also let go, and newspaper drops column by Times ethicist
Reporter Calvert Collins, right, is no longer working at an Omaha TV station. MSNBC.com published on Thursday this photo from Facebook.com of her posing with Democratic congressional candidate Jim Esch. She was listed in federal records as giving $500 to Esch, and she urged her friends to vote for him.
------------------------------
The Ethicist - Randy Cohen
Randy Cohen, who writes "The Ethicist" for The New York Times, says donations to MoveOn.org should be allowed if it's OK to give to the Boy Scouts or the Roman Catholic Church. The newspaper in Spokane, Wash., decided on Thursday to drop the ethics column of Randy Cohen, who writes "The Ethicist" for The New York Times. The paper had been scheduled to begin carrying the column this weekend.
"Had he been a Spokesman-Review staff member, he would have faced suspension, at least, for his misstep," editor Steven A. Smith explained. "So, we're dropping the column. We'll look elsewhere for a publishable ethicist."
Cohen had given $585 to MoveOn.org in 2004, when it was organizing get-out-the-vote efforts to defeat Bush. Cohen at first told MSNBC.com that he thought of donating to MoveOn.org as no more out of bounds than giving to the Boy Scouts.
"We admire those colleagues who participate in their communities — help out at the local school, work with Little League, donate to charity," Cohen said in an e-mail. "But no such activity is or can be non-ideological. Few papers would object to a journalist donating to the Boy Scouts or joining the Catholic Church. But the former has an official policy of discriminating against gay children; the latter has views on reproductive rights far more restrictive than those of most Americans. Should reporters be forbidden to support those groups? I'd say not."
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Code of Ethics for Journalists
Code of Ethics for Journalists
A Code of Ethics exists for journalists, the problem is that it is totally voluntary and there are no penalties associated with the code.
A) Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
Preamble
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice.
Seek Truth and Report It
Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Journalists should:
* Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
* Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
* Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
* Always question sources' motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises.
* Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
* Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
* Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.
* Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story
* Never plagiarize.
* Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
* Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
* Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
* Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
* Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
* Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
* Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
* Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public's business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.
Minimize Harm
Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.
Journalists should:
* Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
* Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
* Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
* Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy.
* Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
* Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
* Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
* Balance a criminal suspect's fair trial rights with the public's right to be informed.
Act Independently
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.
Journalists should:
* Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
* Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
* Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
* Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
* Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
* Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
* Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.
Be Accountable
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.
Journalists should:
* Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
* Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
* Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
* Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
* Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.
B) Recommended Additions to Code of Ethics
1) All news stories must have a peer review and sign-off before publication. This is a normal Quality Assurance process for all business.
2) All news stories will contain comparative information if available. If the item is a common occurrence it should be stated. If the same thing has happened before the relative magnitude must be stated. A part of the comparative information should be an evaluation of previous situations. The democrats have totally failed to do almost everything, but when the Republicans do something they get criticized because they do not do it perfectly.
3) The number of people represented by a news story must be stated. 20 people can be made to look like a football stadium is full but represent only .00001 percent of the population thus distorting the presentation.
3) All news stories will have data presented in as many ways as possible in order that it be as clear as possible. Usually percentages are a better representation than numbers. To state a particular number can be misleading. 1000 deaths many seem large, but not out of 200 million people.
4) The source of all information used in a news story must be identified.
5) Credibility information must be presented for all sources of information. A terrorist account of an event is not as credible as the soldiers.
6) Only news (events) should be reported, thus speculation of future events should be eliminated.
7) Views by news anchors and reporters should be eliminated. Reports by differing opinions should be presented in a balanced manner.
8) News Media people must stay out of politics/social issues. No money, time, endorsements, etc. should be made available to political/social causes by News Media people.
9) Reporters are required to immediately report to authorities any illegal activity they discover. The first responsibility of any reporter is to assure the proper authorities are notified and that any possible help be rendered, then begin filming or reporting. The news media knew what was happening in New Orleans but failed to report to local and federal authorities. Instead the kept the cameras running to get good film footage.
C) Penalties for Violation of Code of Ethics
The main reason the news media has been able to get away with trash has been the reluctance of the judicial system to take action against the news media because of the freedom of the press Constitutional issue. A lot of the item that are involved are political in nature, so there is a question of who used who.
The Republicans have never been successful proving the news media is biased, and the democrats get the benefit so nothing ever gets done. I believe the real harm is the American people who do not get the best government possible because of the news media bias so it is the America people that should be allowed to sue and who should be allowed to sue the news media.
The news media is big business and get more money for more bazaar things. The news media is basically a pornography distributor because they play on the base nature of humans to see bloody images and hear stories of weird sexual events.
It is time consuming to prove that something is a half-truth or a fabrication. Most people do not have the time to spend on investigations, where their results will never be paid for. Fines punish the guilty and reward the person that did the investigative work.
Fines/Damages
(to be awarded by court and paid to the person that exposed the situation)
$1,000,000 for proof of Treason - New York Times Wire Tap and Money Tracking Stories
$100,000 for fabricated lie - Dan Rather story about Bush
$10,000 for failure to research sources -
$1000 for violation of Code of Ethics
The person who revealed the letter that Dan Rather used against President Bush was produced by a word processor and not a typewriter should have been paid $100,000.
With fines and rewards to people who investigate the news media, there will be an effective check and balance that is defiantly needed.
D) Need for National Association for Responsible Journalism - NARJ
A Code of Ethics should be required by congress, but neither Republicans nor democrats will tackle this issue and private citizens do not have the time or money to pursue the court battle that will be required to get a Code of Ethics in place.
A Code of Ethics needs to be established and all journalists held accountable to that Code of Ethics.
I am establishing a NARJ to pay individuals for proof of Code of Ethics violation and to pay for legal fees to get a Code of Ethics established by suing relative to a Code of Ethics that should be in place. If the lawsuit is won, the Code of Ethics now has legal standing.
If you would like to support the NARJ, please respond to this blog.
http://narj-clirus.blogspot.com/
A Code of Ethics exists for journalists, the problem is that it is totally voluntary and there are no penalties associated with the code.
A) Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
Preamble
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice.
Seek Truth and Report It
Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Journalists should:
* Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
* Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
* Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
* Always question sources' motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises.
* Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
* Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
* Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.
* Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story
* Never plagiarize.
* Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
* Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
* Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
* Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
* Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
* Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
* Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
* Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public's business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.
Minimize Harm
Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.
Journalists should:
* Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
* Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
* Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
* Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy.
* Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
* Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
* Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
* Balance a criminal suspect's fair trial rights with the public's right to be informed.
Act Independently
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.
Journalists should:
* Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
* Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
* Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
* Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
* Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
* Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
* Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.
Be Accountable
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.
Journalists should:
* Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
* Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
* Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
* Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
* Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.
B) Recommended Additions to Code of Ethics
1) All news stories must have a peer review and sign-off before publication. This is a normal Quality Assurance process for all business.
2) All news stories will contain comparative information if available. If the item is a common occurrence it should be stated. If the same thing has happened before the relative magnitude must be stated. A part of the comparative information should be an evaluation of previous situations. The democrats have totally failed to do almost everything, but when the Republicans do something they get criticized because they do not do it perfectly.
3) The number of people represented by a news story must be stated. 20 people can be made to look like a football stadium is full but represent only .00001 percent of the population thus distorting the presentation.
3) All news stories will have data presented in as many ways as possible in order that it be as clear as possible. Usually percentages are a better representation than numbers. To state a particular number can be misleading. 1000 deaths many seem large, but not out of 200 million people.
4) The source of all information used in a news story must be identified.
5) Credibility information must be presented for all sources of information. A terrorist account of an event is not as credible as the soldiers.
6) Only news (events) should be reported, thus speculation of future events should be eliminated.
7) Views by news anchors and reporters should be eliminated. Reports by differing opinions should be presented in a balanced manner.
8) News Media people must stay out of politics/social issues. No money, time, endorsements, etc. should be made available to political/social causes by News Media people.
9) Reporters are required to immediately report to authorities any illegal activity they discover. The first responsibility of any reporter is to assure the proper authorities are notified and that any possible help be rendered, then begin filming or reporting. The news media knew what was happening in New Orleans but failed to report to local and federal authorities. Instead the kept the cameras running to get good film footage.
C) Penalties for Violation of Code of Ethics
The main reason the news media has been able to get away with trash has been the reluctance of the judicial system to take action against the news media because of the freedom of the press Constitutional issue. A lot of the item that are involved are political in nature, so there is a question of who used who.
The Republicans have never been successful proving the news media is biased, and the democrats get the benefit so nothing ever gets done. I believe the real harm is the American people who do not get the best government possible because of the news media bias so it is the America people that should be allowed to sue and who should be allowed to sue the news media.
The news media is big business and get more money for more bazaar things. The news media is basically a pornography distributor because they play on the base nature of humans to see bloody images and hear stories of weird sexual events.
It is time consuming to prove that something is a half-truth or a fabrication. Most people do not have the time to spend on investigations, where their results will never be paid for. Fines punish the guilty and reward the person that did the investigative work.
Fines/Damages
(to be awarded by court and paid to the person that exposed the situation)
$1,000,000 for proof of Treason - New York Times Wire Tap and Money Tracking Stories
$100,000 for fabricated lie - Dan Rather story about Bush
$10,000 for failure to research sources -
$1000 for violation of Code of Ethics
The person who revealed the letter that Dan Rather used against President Bush was produced by a word processor and not a typewriter should have been paid $100,000.
With fines and rewards to people who investigate the news media, there will be an effective check and balance that is defiantly needed.
D) Need for National Association for Responsible Journalism - NARJ
A Code of Ethics should be required by congress, but neither Republicans nor democrats will tackle this issue and private citizens do not have the time or money to pursue the court battle that will be required to get a Code of Ethics in place.
A Code of Ethics needs to be established and all journalists held accountable to that Code of Ethics.
I am establishing a NARJ to pay individuals for proof of Code of Ethics violation and to pay for legal fees to get a Code of Ethics established by suing relative to a Code of Ethics that should be in place. If the lawsuit is won, the Code of Ethics now has legal standing.
If you would like to support the NARJ, please respond to this blog.
http://narj-clirus.blogspot.com/
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