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Julien Sorel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:27 PM
Original message
Shame is a weapon.
For those of you who are contacting the media at every turn, complaining about the Swift Hoax veterans, kudos. For those of you who are angry at the Swift Hoax veterans, and want to see them destroyed, while I personally understand your sentiments, I think you are missing the point.

These people are total creations of the media. They would have disappeared by now, had the media not pumped them up into something they should never have been. That got them more funding, which in turn got them more publicity. It is, to sully a phrase, a virtuous circle. It was almost certainly hoping to avoid this circumstance that the Kerry people elected not to confront it from the start. They had good success with this approach once before with a spurious accusation, if you'll recall, with the Alexandra Polier non-scandal.

All this is kind of meaningless at this point, but I would like to ask a favor: every time you write or call the media regarding this issue, whatever your reason, add a reminder that this story never should have received the play it has in the first place, that the Swift Hoax veterans have been debunked so many times the media should have ridiculed them then put them on ignore a long time ago.

The phrase I use with different variations is "Whatever happened to the gatekeeper function of the media?" The media, you see, are supposed to exercise judgment over what is news and what is not. Clearly, they've fallen down on the job here. At some point, shame should be a weapon, and I think we've reached that point, actually we did a long time ago.
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salinen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:36 PM
Response to Original message
1. I look at it this way
Media is journalism through the pie hole. A journalist is a dude with a BA in journalism, not ethics, not math, not medicine - journalism. For some ridiculous reason, people view these people as if they are filled with virtuous values. They have been trained to give the story that helps ratings. It's bottom line journalism. And it smells like it.
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KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:41 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. Ethics Is Part Of Journalism's Curriculum
as it is with Medicine and Law.

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underseasurveyor Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 10:35 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Yep, well....at least it use to.
Something you put your name on with pride and honor. Now it's my story is more titilating than yours or I broke it first. No I didn't check any facts and yes I may have embelished a little, BUT SO, I broke it first.

No ethics, no honor, no integrity in reporting anymore. Well they're very few and far between these days. :/sigh:
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ContinentalOp Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 10:45 PM
Response to Reply #1
8. I don't know about that.
"A journalist is a dude with a BA in journalism,"

First of all, "a dude"? But I agree with what you say if I'm reading you correctly. When I was in college (94-98) and worked on the school newspaper, the journalism students were THE WORST when it came to simply rewriting press releases and filling the paper with fluff. The only real journalism came from students who were outside the journalism program and strangely they were the majority of the staff. The journalism students must have all been off practicing their diction for a gig on TV.
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skygazer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 10:55 PM
Response to Reply #1
9. Most media is NOT journalism
It's reporting. People spouting things they've been told by someone else. As opposed to journalism which is people asking questions and attempting to find out what the real story is.
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blondeatlast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:38 PM
Response to Original message
2. Excellent piece, BB.
That thought will be de rigeur in my correspondence from now on.

Respectfully nominated for homepage.
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wishlist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:40 PM
Response to Original message
3. It is good to question their ethics and integrity and morality too
Those in the media who seem to have lost their way when it comes to the values of truth, fairness, honesty and compassion need to be reminded when they fall down in their responsibilities to the public as journalists. And those who espouse RW family values, decency and patriotism while at the same time spouting hateful lies and slander and very un-Christian or unpatriotic attitudes need to be chastised for their hypocrisy.
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cally Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:43 PM
Response to Original message
5. I will do it
I planned to be a journalist and took many journalism courses. I'm of a similar age of several of these idiots. I can guess what they were taught because I was in similar classes. I do think we can shame them.
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The Magistrate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-24-04 09:45 PM
Response to Original message
6. Excellent Advice, Mr. Bunter!
Edited on Tue Aug-24-04 09:46 PM by The Magistrate
The news programs played these Bush supporters' smears so frequently they really ought to be charged with campaign contributions in kind from a corporation, a certain violation of campaign laws. Rather than showing these smears ad nauseum, they ought to have engaged from the start in the systematic checking of the "facts" alleged in them, and broadcast the unavoidable conclusion that they are a pack of lies circulated by the Bush campaign.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"
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Julien Sorel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Aug-25-04 03:31 AM
Response to Original message
10. Shameless kick.
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