Why do so many political journalist add their opinions to subjects they're reporting. Wouldn't you rather hear news from a un-biased spokesman who strictly reports facts.
2007-06-21 10:50:06 · 32 answers · asked by Liberal City 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Fox news is biased....let's be serious here.
2007-06-21 10:58:46 · update #1
Journalism USED to be about reporting on facts. But not anymore. Now it's about spin, manipulation, sensationalism, and anything news networks can do to increase ratings. Even if that means CREATING news. They call it "investigative reporting". I call it tabloid nonsense.
2007-06-21 10:55:44 · answer #1 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The trouble with strictly reporting facts is that the reporter can, based on his/her ideology, choose which facts to report, in what light to report them, and how to juxtapose them with other facts.
Indeed, a "fact" can have many shades of veracity. One person's "fact" is another person's dastardly lie.
For example:
It's a "fact" that temperatures globally have been measured to have risen.
But how were those temperatures taken? With what equipment? Over what timespan? Was the equipment as accurate 50 years ago? Were the methods different? What data was ignored in compiling the statistics? To what extent does human activities play in all this? Does citing one scientist's statistics prove something is a "Fact"? Can scientific consensus be wrong? Has it ever been wrong before? Is the earth flat? Does it orbit around the sun? Does one solar flare have more energy in it than has been produced by man since the beginning of the industrial age? What about frogs?
Sadly, in today's political atmosphere, "facts" are many times simply opinions shouted over and over by those who stand to reap some bounty from socialist government subsidies. The MSM loves much of it because it generates "news" and therefore they can manufacture an opinion majority, which in their eyes is tantamount to fact. No, *better* than fact, because as long as the public believes that it is fact, they can report it as such and get away with it.
Really, most reporters are not interested in facts, but John Stossel seems to be one of the few who will take a serious look at issues and provide balanced reporting. Even so, he would be the first to admit that his reporting is based on his opinions and ideology.
Maybe that's why it's so entertaining.
2007-06-21 11:10:29 · answer #2 · answered by Cribbage 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Back in the day when print media was king, news was reported a day after the event, it took time to get it out. It was much more important to report the story, not create it like today in our electronic instant media. Sensationalism seems to be the key word. I saw on CNN this evening about laser weapons on planes and they reported it like it was some kind of new top secret plane. I saw this story on the history channel a year or so ago it's not top secret. The only person's opinion I actually care to hear on television is Lou Dobbs when it comes to political opinions, because generally I agree with him.
2007-06-21 11:03:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Journalism is a combination of reporting and opinion, but it should be stated up-front if it is more editorializing than simple reporting. On TV, the journalists are basically enytertainers, and I compare them as WWE wrestlers trying to get fans fired up while talking into a microphone.
2007-06-21 10:54:29 · answer #4 · answered by Zombie Birdhouse 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The main part is reporting the news but there are sections of the news that are opinions - Editorials. The problem is so many in the news now hide their bias and pretend a news story is basic journalism while it is their opinion.
2007-06-21 10:53:41 · answer #5 · answered by ALASPADA 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fox news isnt bias.. People are bias... every stations' journalist have bias on both sides.. and if there was no political commentary, the news wouldnt have any depth, no political arguments, no rebuttals no debates, no democratic or republican strategist..just a guy reading off a teleprompter telling you wants happening today.... i doubt anybody would enjoy that 24/7.... it goes against human nature... dont you think?
2007-06-21 11:04:30 · answer #6 · answered by Aldo G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It should be objective facts by the news since they try to depict the stories as fact. The reality is that nobody can sit on the throne of objectivity becuase we all have our own point of view. The journalist must interpret their information as it is given to them, then they have to pass it by an editor that cuts or adds to the story in order to foster consumer sales and conform to their audience's sensibilities. Either way some one is trying to sell you a story and you have to decide if you are gonna buy it.
2007-06-21 11:00:30 · answer #7 · answered by oracle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol. What are the political journalist suppose to do? Put a camera in front of a politician and let them babble then afterwards say back to you in the newsroom ken. HOw can you have a politician answer political questions without a political journalist and who do you propose ask them questions? Remember that person you select will have their own biasis.
2007-06-21 10:56:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's both. Opinion peices and editorials are a valid form of journalism, for instance, when presented as such. What's questionable is presenting opinion as fact, or presenting facts in a biased way.
2007-06-21 17:33:57 · answer #9 · answered by B.Kevorkian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's supposed to be strictly facts or so we are led to believe. you know everyone has to put their two cents in though. it's just like being here in the end it's really competition.... right.!! ratings, stars, points. well journalism is the same way. look at the awards shows, singing competitions yada yada yada. it's the same with politics as well.... it's about who's better.
2007-06-22 05:31:53 · answer #10 · answered by TA 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋