Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 930147)

When the top ranking journalists and newspapers ,television stations,etc in the country intentionally lie or mis-inform, mis-characterize or otherwise point to only their partisan view then you know the country is in deep trouble.

To exacerbate the problem people have been so badly mis-led that they often don't know what is true anymore.

A specific segment in education are bent on re-writing history. This is a tactic that use to be used only by communist/dictator states

The world is in a more dangerous place now than it was even a few years go. We desperately need ethical leadership in our government and every industry in the private sector or we are going to go the way of the Inca's

I never had such concerns before but we are leadership deficient leaving us in a vacuum. Who or what will fill that vacuum is the $ 64,000 question?

Originally Posted by Chi-Town (Post 930169)

Maybe we should just go back to this; it worked for many many years. And it brought people together for face to face discussions.

Attachment 44550

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 930172)

Chi-Town: At the very least, given its only one town crier, we would be facing only one lie at a time:)

Originally Posted by Chi-Town (Post 930185)

Well stated. Maybe we would need a panel of town criers where each would yell out their take on the news. Oh wait, I think that idea is already taken.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 930191)

YOU ARE RIGHT CHI...and it is this forum.

Here is some new news from Wesh2 at noon.. The Orlando Police shot and killed a man this morning while serving some kind of a "high profile" drug warrant at his home. He emerged from another entrance carrying a gun. He was shot several times.

His family is very upset and angry with the police.

What is your reaction? What is your first question? What do you think will happen? What do you think should happen?

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 930191)

YOU ARE RIGHT CHI...and it is this forum.

Here is some new news from Wesh2 at noon.. The Orlando Police shot and killed a man this morning while serving some kind of a "high profile" drug warrant at his home. He emerged from another entrance carrying a gun. He was shot several times.

His family is very upset and angry with the police.

What is your reaction? What is your first question? What do you think will happen? What do you think should happen?

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 930191)

YOU ARE RIGHT CHI...and it is this forum.

Here is some new news from Wesh2 at noon.. The Orlando Police shot and killed a man this morning while serving some kind of a "high profile" drug warrant at his home. He emerged from another entrance carrying a gun. He was shot several times.

His family is very upset and angry with the police.

What is your reaction? What is your first question? What do you think will happen? What do you think should happen?

Originally Posted by Chi-Town (Post 930185)

Well stated. Maybe we would need a panel of town criers where each would yell out their take on the news. Oh wait, I think that idea is already taken.

Originally Posted by DruannB (Post 930264)

I'm probably going to regret it, but I'm going to weigh in here. I have been a journalist for 39 years, either as a reporter, editor, and now as a journalism professor. I've worked for both small and large newspapers, magazines, and lobbyists. What we are taught in school is not what we experience when we start working in the field. Many of you are correct. The bottom line is all that matters. I've been told to exclude information, deny coverage, or pump up more advertisers than I care to count. I lost a job once for offending an advertiser. I went into journalism education because I saw our profession descend into the muckraking that was going on in the early 20th century. I hoped I could influence a few to report objectively. I teach ethical reporting and hope that some will land in a job where they won't have to lie. The current trend in reporting is also opinion reporting--no more being objective. At national conferences we're told that the general public is too stupid to interpret the news for themselves. So, as a result of this training, you have a 21-year-old telling you how you should think and act. And they grow up in the business being applauded for doing so. This is my last year as a journalism professor. I am switching over to English full time. I've had enough and I just can't defend my profession any longer.

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 930236)

I don't get it. How does this relate to this thread? How does it relate to the profitability of a newspaper? It would help if you would state what the connection is.

Originally Posted by DruannB (Post 930264)

I'm probably going to regret it, but I'm going to weigh in here. I have been a journalist for 39 years, either as a reporter, editor, and now as a journalism professor. I've worked for both small and large newspapers, magazines, and lobbyists. What we are taught in school is not what we experience when we start working in the field. Many of you are correct. The bottom line is all that matters. I've been told to exclude information, deny coverage, or pump up more advertisers than I care to count. I lost a job once for offending an advertiser. I went into journalism education because I saw our profession descend into the muckraking that was going on in the early 20th century. I hoped I could influence a few to report objectively. I teach ethical reporting and hope that some will land in a job where they won't have to lie. The current trend in reporting is also opinion reporting--no more being objective. At national conferences we're told that the general public is too stupid to interpret the news for themselves. So, as a result of this training, you have a 21-year-old telling you how you should think and act. And they grow up in the business being applauded for doing so. This is my last year as a journalism professor. I am switching over to English full time. I've had enough and I just can't defend my profession any longer.

Originally Posted by Tennisnut (Post 930404)

I would be curious as to your opinion of the Daily Sun. Is better or worse at providing ethical and balanced reporting or is it as biased as some purport the the national media to be?

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr (Post 930413)

In al fairness, the Daily Sun is not really a newspaper. It is an information sheet for what's going on in The Villages. I don't know of very many people that think of it as a serious newspaper.

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr (Post 930411)

It's not even that, in many cases, journalists are intentionally trying to mislead anyone, although there are certainly cases where they are.

But many of them are of a certain political bent. Many have very strong leanings to the point where it effects everything they write. They come at every story from a specific prospective. Often they simply assume that their particular beliefs are a given and all discussion beings with those givens.

There's an often told story about a long time White House correspondent. I'll say here that this story has been disputed and some say that it never happened, but whether or not it did, it is illustrative of the way many reporters approach their job.

The story takes place shortly after Richard Nixon won re-election in a landslide. This particular White House correspondent was talking a a party and said, "I can't understand how Nixon possibly could have won. I don't know a single person that voted for him."

When everyone that this reporter knows is of the same political bent, it is difficult for her to be objective about any subject. When there are 50 reporters all in a room together and every one of them has the same political philosophy, how can they possibly be objective? Again, they simple assume that their position is a given and that every one int he world agrees with them.

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1 (Post 930423)

There should always be a wall between news and advertising. The wall is porous of late, but that doesn't excuse poor journalism nor does it excuse apathy on the part of the public. I was a journalist for some 25 odd years and only once did I ever have an executive editor bow down to the cries and whims of advertisers. He and I didn't see eye-to-eye on a few things and I wasn't afraid to make it known what I thought about him wanting me to put my integrity and reputation on the line in order to keep in the good graces of an advertiser. He was an exception to the rule in my experience. Thank God.

It doesn't matter what your political beliefs, a good journalist should and can keep opinion out of news. Period. I was very proud of my profession and I was proud of most of the other reporters I knew. The times they are a changing though. Sad but true.

Originally Posted by DruannB (Post 930446)

You're very lucky to have that experience, particularly if you were able to stay for 25 years in one spot. I've worked at six different newspapers, in three states, from very small circulations to over 300,000, and every last one of those papers or TV stations gave some level of control to the advertisers. A few made it obvious the advertisers were in charge by yelling at me--ARE YOU CRAZY!!! (both large and small papers). I sometimes won the argument, but I've also had some bosses you wouldn't dare confront.

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1 (Post 930454)

I worked in three different states for a variety of newspapers; big and small. I have been and continue to be blessed. Not many of the reporters/editors I knew-and still know-are liberal or Progressive by any stretch of your imagination.

The majority of people I worked with lived and breathed this creed.

"The Journalist’s Creed

"The Journalist’s Creed was written by the first dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, Walter Williams. One century later, his declaration remains one of the clearest statements of the principles, values and standards of journalists throughout the world. The plaque bearing the creed is located on the main stairway to the second floor of Neff Hall.

"I believe in the profession of journalism.

"I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust.

"I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism.

"I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true.

"I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.

"I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman; that bribery by one’s own pocketbook is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocketbook of another; that individual responsibility may not be escaped by pleading another’s instructions or another’s dividends.

"I believe that advertising, news and editorial columns should alike serve the best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.

"I believe that the journalism which succeeds best — and best deserves success — fears God and honors Man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world."

Source: J-School Legacy - Missouri School of Journalism

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1 (Post 930454)

I worked in three different states for a variety of newspapers; big and small. I have been and continue to be blessed. Not many of the reporters/editors I knew-and still know-are liberal or Progressive by any stretch of your imagination.

The majority of people I worked with lived and breathed this creed.

"The Journalist’s Creed

"The Journalist’s Creed was written by the first dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, Walter Williams. One century later, his declaration remains one of the clearest statements of the principles, values and standards of journalists throughout the world. The plaque bearing the creed is located on the main stairway to the second floor of Neff Hall.

"I believe in the profession of journalism.

"I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust.

"I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism.

"I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true.

"I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.

"I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman; that bribery by one’s own pocketbook is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocketbook of another; that individual responsibility may not be escaped by pleading another’s instructions or another’s dividends.

"I believe that advertising, news and editorial columns should alike serve the best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.

"I believe that the journalism which succeeds best — and best deserves success — fears God and honors Man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world."

Source: J-School Legacy - Missouri School of Journalism

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 930284)

It relates because Wesh2 news didn't put any racial "spin" on it. And neither did Chi when he responded.

The title of this thread is "Fairness in Journalism: Should we expect it".

It is MY opinion that our local stations are much better at reporting what is happening, without interpretation, than the National News.

I sense that you wanted it connected to health in some way, BUT that is how I read it and that is how I responded to it. And so did Druanne. A great and honest post.

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr (Post 930413)

In al fairness, the Daily Sun is not really a newspaper. It is an information sheet for what's going on in The Villages. I don't know of very many people that think of it as a serious newspaper.

Originally Posted by Villages PL (Post 930693)

It might have helped if I was familiar with "Wesh2". Is that the name of an internet news site? I don't think it's fair to assume that everyone will know.

Thanks, now I understand that you were asking a trick question.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 930747)

I forgot you don't have a television. Wesh2 is the local affiliate of NBC News.

It is based in Orlando and does have an internet site.

Here is the link to their internet site. wesh2 news.com - Bing

And this is a later story on the same topic that I posted about earlier on this thread;
Sheriff: Man shot, killed by Orange County deputies serving warrant | Local News - WESH Home