If the press is not effective at pointing out abuses, they are failing at their primary mission?

Question

as a good man put it: "To comfort the afficted and affict the comfortable"

Thomas Jefferson was a realist.That's why he also maintained that if there was one thing in the Constitution that could never be sacrificed, it was freedom of the press, so that there would always be an effective whistle-blower that could not be silenced. Is it working?

Answer 1

Those that hold the purse strings of the press are the ones who are not effective.

A reporter with access is an asset. Only reporters that cave to the powers that be have that access, and are a dime a dozen.

A questioning reporter needs funds to uncover facts, days, not hours, to build a story, and may blackball coverage for the paper in general, in the case of a negative story. Owners, not editors, have the final say.

Not many owners have the balls to go out on a limb and report "news"...It just doesn't sell papers on the street, or ad time on the network.

Answer 2

I'm sorry? The press have a duty or a mission? I thought their mission was to make money. And how do you do that? By reporting what is popular. Celebrities are popular, so you can't turn round without seeing another 15 "scoops" on the fact that celebrities have the audacity to be human. Abuses are not popular, ergo they are not reported.

Answer 3

You assume that the purpose of the press is to inform. It may have been at one time. It is now about corporate profits. Since death, destruction, sex, deception, and injustice sell, that is what you are going to see in the media. Good news doesn't make headlines unless they can find a cloud to go with that silver lining.

Answer 4

Yes, I'm glad we have a strong national press to keep us informed about what Paris Hilton is doing.

Answer 5

the primary duty of the free press is to report the news.you bet ye it is working, just ask richard nixon,oops he's dead.