Journalists by definition are spectators, recorders of events. However, most have great difficulty being objective and worse, feel the need to inject their reporting with personal (or corporate) opinion. This woudn't be so bad were it not for the fact that most journalists are ill-informed, their stories poorly researched, and their credibility doubtful at best. Just look at Iraq: For the longest time most network stories were compiled from Pentagon briefing notes.
Journalists should be made more accountable for the veracity of their reporting...or at least show proof of their understanding of a subject before they weigh in with marginal opinions.
2006-07-09 10:50:36 · 16 answers · asked by intaleckshul 1 in News & Events ➔ Media & Journalism
Great question!!
I see how it could happen both ways. Heraldo Rivera left CNN because he felt he couldn't report the news properly because of a perceived agenda. Of course, others have left Foxnews for the same reason.
However, I think you are correct. Many reporters offer thier own point of view on the stories they are reporting about. Some like Dan Rather pursue a story according to thier own political or idealogical agenda regardless of the facts. Thats sad. Dan is a good guy who just got caught up in the mix and unfortunately stained his career a little.
I say journalists should report the facts and let us decide what to think instead of telling us what to think. It probably won't happen anytime soon but it would be a nice change.
2006-07-09 11:33:19 · answer #1 · answered by Qpid59 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My understanding -- which of course is based on work published by journalists and other writers -- is that the biggest influence is the higher-ups who decide what gets assigned or chosen for publication/broadcast. So nearly all of our news serves political and corporate interests and hides the truth by pretending to reveal it.
So it's not so much that journalists can't be objective, but that those who play the game get the by-lines. If you want accountability, don't forget to go after the people with the real power.
2006-07-09 11:12:17 · answer #2 · answered by The angels have the phone box. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lets tell the truth. journalists earn a lot of money. and money is the one thing that kept the USA alive for over 200 years i guess. journalists are human beings like all of us. they are not better nor worse. what would u do to earn " a lot of money"??
and u don't kill the chicken u get an egg from every day, therefore u wont ask too tough questions, because if there is nobody to ask anymore, your jobs gone. these are the general ideas on that subject
2006-07-09 12:17:46 · answer #3 · answered by rotacka0687 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its well known that
1) 90% of journalist belong to the same political party
2) students go into journalism to make a "difference in the world"
or "change the world", not to become reported of news events
2006-07-09 11:55:16 · answer #4 · answered by Renegade 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A good journalist would not be biased when reporting a story. Unfortunately, this is real life and ALL journalists aren't necessarily good journalists.
2006-07-09 10:58:28 · answer #5 · answered by buK00 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a two way thing. Some journalists report what they are told to report by their superiors, other report what they think people want to hear and others report what they want, ie their own personal intake on a particualr situation.
2006-07-09 15:38:24 · answer #6 · answered by kara 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most media these days are controlled by larged corporations. At places such as Fox they are given memos as to how they should comment on events. It the lack of independant news existed back at Watergate, Nixon would still be president
2006-07-09 11:11:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would imagine it depends in the journalist's values, who their working for and who's paying them. Also, like in the case of Iraq, I understand if they've been assigned there (or to prevent that) and it keeps them out of harms way, to use official notes, I might do that too.
2006-07-09 10:59:23 · answer #8 · answered by esha26 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're absolutely right...and I do think Journalists influence the news...now a days they make you feel like we're all going to hell..its so damn depressing or when there is good news its something stupid or they have to put their two "negative" cents in..
2006-07-09 10:56:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't think they should be able to report on the war negatively while we're in the war -- if we're in a war the people in the usa should all stand together and shut up on the news a little bit actually a whole lot -- our people over there need us to back them up -- besides the enemy learns more about us from our news -- therefore we should not give them the advantage by letting them know everything we're doing -- especially if we're in disagreement with the 'war' or anything -- that's my two cents.
2006-07-09 12:20:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋