12/18/09

On Journalism Ethics

Do the few who control dissemination of most political information,


enjoy relatively disproportionate levels of influence,


than the many who don’t?


 


The world is ruled only by consideration of advantages.


 


Friedrich von Schiller


 


Can business and/or political interests negatively affect investigative journalism, by sheltering some from inhospitable exposure, while simultaneously disparaging opponents?


 


The partisan,


when engaged in a dispute,


cares nothing about the rights of the question,


but is anxious only to convince his hearers of his own assertions.


 


Plato

6 comments:

George Hartzman said...

I believe our country’s political system is dysfunctional, and the Mainstream News/Information industry shares a big chunk of responsibility.

My intention is to point out what I see to be problematic, regardless of who.

As far as “Pay to Play, ” it really needs fixed. It is an “integrity and ethics” issue. There are direct correlations (currently legal) between large donations and allocations of regulations and taxpayer money. Some have funded elections, which pay for newspaper ads etc…, and then received X or Y paid for with our money. Taxpayer money. My kids money. My neighbors money. Your money.

Revenues are falling and we’re borrowing like it’s 2006.

There is something wrong with that.

G

Brenda Bowers said...

Journalistic Ethics is a thing of the past, if it ever existed at all that is. There were always a few journalist who were sincerely trying to present the news and leave their own biases out of the story, but not many. The difference between then and now is an attempt was made to cover up the personal bias and appear fair until the last 30 years or so. After Watergate I watched the change in journalism for the sensational rather than the news worthy of the paper it was printed on. We had the National Enquirer and other rags for the lies, sex and scandal. Now we have The New York times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

I personally was sick to death of Clinton's sexual antics and couldn't care less who he banged in the Oval Office. He was by and large a good President, but the people heard or read very little of what he was actually doing on a daily basis as President.

Obama on the other hand is an abomination, national embarrassment and creature of the corrupted and all we see is him making grand speeches using his teleprompter, and again not a thing of what he is doing on a daily basis as President. FOXNEWS is the only TV news giving the story. Conservative radio and conservative bloggers are the only ones trying to get the word out that America is being destroyed from within.

In Greensboro we have the racist News & Record, the agenda driven YES!WEEKLY whose editor will twist the story and use misleading language to fit his agenda and then cry "it's just semantics" when he is called down. The Rhino is the most honestly biased of the three. The Hammer brothers own the paper and print their opinion and make no apologies for that fact. Right now in Greensboro the only news paper I read id the Rhino. BB

george said...

Wow.

Brian Clarey said...

Wow indeed.

george said...

Hi Brian,

Would you say Yes Weekly is relatively left leaning as the Rhino viers right?

Brenda Bowers said...

YES!WEEKLY is where ever their bread is buttered the thickest!

And a WOW! WOW! to you too on this lovely snowy Saturday morning. It is lovely outside my window looking across my now sleeping garden and into the woods with the snow out lined trees. The only color is two Cardinals at the bright green bird feeder. I wish I were young enough to romp in the snow and not feel silly if anyone should see me. Of course it would also help to be able to stand up and run; canes and walkers are awkward in snow play. BB