I'm so old, I remember when the first responsibility of a journalist was to get it right

[Bluzmann57]

I mean when I was younger, the journalist, whether he or she was print or electronic simply would not come out with a story if they didn't have absolute proof. I bring this up because of two very recent things which have happened, the Supreme Court ruling and CNN geting it wrong and the guy from ABC who stated without any real proof that the Colorado gunman was a member of the teabaggers.
I realize that it is an entirely different world we live in today with all the technology that's around, but it seems to me that a journalist, or one claiming to be a journalist should at least get the facts straight before their story gets out worldwide. If for no other reason than to avoid embarassment.
And yes, I realize the Chicago Tribune got it wrong many years ago with the "Dewey defeats Truman" issue, but that was an isolated incident. Besides, it should be a lesson to all the alleged journalists out there now. Get the story right.

[Curtland1015]

1. It's all a desperate rush to be "first" now, for the money.

If you don't beat the other guy to the punch, people aren't watching. If people don't watch, sponsors don't pay.

Sometimes being wrong is "acceptable" to them if it keeps the gravy train coming.

[Maeve]

2. The first class I took in journalism insisted on the 3 'A's

Accuracy. accuracy, accuracy.
But the school of journalism I attended is closed now and there are too many 'news writers' and 'news readers' (and ax grinders) in the business.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. There has never been responsibility in journalism

It is a fond false memory at best. They are at best subtle advocates, even those with Pulitzer prizes are often no better than that.

Look up Westbrook Pegler

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. Every newspaper runs a daily list of corrections. Errors are an inevitable part of news gathering.

That said though, I do think there's less emphasis these days on getting things immediately right, in part because you can make immediate corrections. I'm not sure journalistic ethics have fully kept pace with technology as the focus in that area of many news organizations seems to be more about not letting the technology kill the revenue stream.

[unblock]

5. the only "facts" the news media now reports are quotes.

they rarely say that "x happened". now they invariably say "a senior official said x"

so, legally at least, they're off the hook as to whether or not "x" is truthful or accurate or anything at all.

all they "have" to get right is that a senior official actually SAID x.



as a result, calling it "news" is rather silly.
it's topical gossip and rumors at best, outright propaganda at worst.

[Odin2005]

10. It's the new, Postmodern News.

Nothing is a fact, everything is an opinion.

[Nay]

6. Now it's not even illegal for 'journalists' to tell lies outright. (See Fox News court opinion) They

certainly have no shame left to generate anything resembling embarrassment.

[mzteris]

7. Just the facts. No bias. No opinion.

Unless you were doing an "editorial".

"News" reporting has become a joke.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. Our media has evolved into a "fast food" type of service.

Accuracy has been sacrificed for speed. Quality has been sacrificed for quantity.

I believe it's a byproduct of the 24 hour cable news programs in part. It's also at least partly related to our desires to have everything shipped instantly to our eyes digitally. We, the news consumers, no longer by a majority demand accuracy over speed and convenience.

[frebrd]

9. Get the story right?

What a quaint idea!

[Odin2005]

11. Science journalism has gotten really bad.

If I hear another "journalist" call the Higgs Boson the "GAWD particle" I'm gonna scream.