Is there a low-IQ requirement to be a reporter? I was watching

[old mark]

the WH press secretary for a few minutes today and I am embarassed at how stupid the "journalists" are. There seemed to be a few foreign reporters there who asked decent interesting questions, but many of the US people were just worthless.
Is this the best we have?

mark

[Lebam in LA]

1. yep

[valerief]

2. Well, what do you want? A free press or something? You don't need

smarts in a censored, media-owners-can-be-counted-on-one-hand society.

[NashVegas]

3. More Like a Top 40 News Stories Mentality

The average press corp member is under a great deal of pressure to *not* be the one who breaks a story and dangles their ass in the wind.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. A newsbunny on a local channel just said "supposEBly."

Sigh.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

21. newsbunny. . . LOL! may I steal that?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

22. Hah, it's yours... I stole it from somewhere. :-) (n/t)

[mwooldri]

25. Naaa... L!ve TV had Newsbunny...

Sadly L!ve TV is no more and the Newsbunny is history.

But referring to clueless journalists as newsbunnies (especially when aimed at women) will sadly live on. In this way the term is demeaning but I offer the alternative of "creative writer" because sometimes things get "creative".

Mark.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

29. "Creative writer" doesn't pack enough of a wallop.

But interesting re the actual Newsbunny... I did not know that!

[demwing]

30. In the grudging defense of all newsbunnies

It's "supposably" - as in "able to suppose" and being the adverb form of the adjective "supposable." Often used-incorrectly-in place of "supposedly."

Real word, used incorrectly.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

31. She used it in place of "supposedly." (n/t)

[demwing]

32. Yep, that's what I said. :) Good word, bad usage. /nt

[JuniperLea]

5. There are very few actual journalists in the world

I'm betting some of those press folk in attendance wouldn't even be able to give you a good definition of journalist. some would no doubt say, "I'm are one".

[Flying Dream Blues]

10. Ted looks like Walter Cronkite next to some of the current crop! nt

[JuniperLea]

14. That is sadly true... eom

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. The purpose of the modern corporate media is the polar opposite of "journalism"

Mike Malloy often says that TV media exists "to make you forget". And they definitely have accomplished that. Otherwise Chimpy never would have had enough votes to steal an election just 8 years after his father trashed the country, nor would so many morons already forget what the Chimp himself did to the country and be ready to blame it all on Obama.

[Junkdrawer]

7. Intelligence and independent thinking are, alas, highly correlated...

And the LAST thing our Media Moguls want is independent thinkers.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. White House reportage is more

dictation than reporting, and has been for a really long time

it is more about getting access to power lunches and fancy dinners

[LeftinOH]

9. .............Sarah Palin has a jernalizm degree-

[old mark]

19. It amazes me she actually has a degree at all - I assumed one

had to be able to at least read and write for a degree in Journalism.

mark

[tomreedtoon]

11. But didn't their hair and teeth look FABULOUS?

That's all that the public wants - that's all the corporate consultants for TV stations want the public to have - so that's all we get. Enjoy the hairstyles and the gentle, low-IQ jokes they make.

[TahitiNut]

12. I'm reminded of 'Network' where William Hurt's character only has skills in presentation ...

... but not in the substantive topics. He knows how to sit on his jacket and look at the camera ... and even how to fake a tear for the B-roll. He's blessed with an appearance that attracts the nurturing motive but has no grounding in anything, no intellect. Even more, he has no fine-tuned sense of ethics and only chooses to do what "works."

We, as an audience, demand both the pleasant appearance and the pleasant sound ... since we zone out on the substance. We're stuck in 7th grade.

[FiveGoodMen]

17. I think that was 'Broadcast News'

[TahitiNut]

20. Oops. You're right. (Brain Fart.)

:blush:

[old mark]

23. Live near DC? Have I got a job for you!!!!! nt

[Edweird]

13. Hehe. You should check out WSVN channel 7 news here in Miami.

English is clearly their second language. It's painful to watch and I feel like I lose IQ points if it's on too long..... Plus the music is awful.

[Fumesucker]

15. Things haven't changed for the better since this was written.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2PxAIAI1QQ

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I dont have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you bout the plane crash with a gleam
In her eye
Its interesting when people die-
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a
Running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry

You dont really need to find out whats going on
You dont really want to know just how far its gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry


Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up
Kick em when theyre down
Kick em when theyre stiff
Kick em all around

Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybodys pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry

We can do the innuendo
We can dance and sing
When its said and done we havent told you a thing
We all know that crap is king
Give us dirty laundry!

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. Robert Gibbs: "Let me explain this to you for the fourth time".

Robert Gibbs: "Let me explain this to you for the fifth time".

Robert Gibbs: "Let me explain this to you for the sixth time".

Robert Gibbs: "Let me explain this to you for the seventh time".

Robert Gibbs: "Let me explain this to you for the eight time".

They keep asking him the same stupid questions over and over and over and over again.

[old mark]

24. He started out by saying clearly he didn't know the answer to her question.

She then asked 8 times and got mad at him because he would not answer.

Later, some other hairspray guy asked similar questions - I turned it off after that.

TV seems to be rapidly killing intelligence, at least on the "news".

mark

[Echo In Light]

18. You've heard of pre-screened political audiences? That applies to "journalists" as well

Journalists don't decide what to "report" on, the editors and owners do.

[slackmaster]

26. We used to have real journalists in this country

Now we have talking heads, eye candy, ravers, and screamers.

[Mass]

27. No, but laziness and group thinking is.

Stop comparing a disability with the fact these guys would not do their jobs.

[guardian]

28. Most are idiots

I can hardly watch the news or read a newspaper any more. The idiocy on display everyday is astounding. Anecdotally, I know of several instances where students that couldn't cut the curriculum in engineering, science, or math dropped to become communications or journalism majors.

I also read somewhere that Comm and Journalism school entrance requirements (i.e., ACT, SAT) tend to the be the lowest of all the disciplines. Even lower than poly sci and socialism majors.