To: The News Media
From: A recovering journalist-turned-media analyst
Re: The News Doesn't Stop, Nor Do the Controversies
I was going to write this column today with a few more thoughts beyond those I wrote here about the media mining mess. But other than pointing you to footage of Anderson Cooper getting the news that the news story had changed, and pointing you to PressThink for the best look at the issue so far, I don't have anything new to add on that topic.
Meanwhile, a great question is asked at the Poynter web site. At a time when editors are saying they were right or wrong in how they covered the mining story, a writer asks: Did news agencies independently confirm Ariel Sharon's stroke? Why or why not?
So instead this week I figured I would share some thoughts on other media news:
1) Last month I celebrated the news that CNN and Robert Novak were splitting up. But now come reports - as yet unconfirmed by CNN - that CNN is hiring William Bennett as a political analyst. Yes, the same Bennett who made the stupid remarks about blacks and crime and has written in a patronizing manner about virtues while battling his own gambling problems. So he should have plenty to talk about if he just focuses on his own problems. But maybe he should do that before trying to "analyze" the news.
Note to CNN: How about hiring Bill Moyers or Noam Chomsky to do some analysis?
2) Now, we all know journalists in war zones are potentially going to get hurt but all of the kidnappings and killings are starting to add up. Atrios reported this weekend on the latest:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (UPI) — Iraqi police officials said Saturday unidentified gunmen have kidnapped an American female journalist after killing her Iraqi translator in Baghdad.
And as if that is not enough to make the job of foreign journalists even more difficult we have situations like this one - where a reporter, Ali Fadhil, was captured, hooded and later released - to make you wonder once again how reporters can do such tough jobs. Keep that in mind next time you criticize war reporters.
Article comments
1 - Scott Butki
There's another good Pressthink piece here.
2 - Temple Stark
76 American reporters have died in the less-than-three-year Iraq War, more than in the entire 22 years of the Vietnam War.
Lurking in the back of my mind all day, I've been trying to figure out why. There are many reasons. For example, the spin from HQ is so bad journalists feel compelled to head out to get better stories.
Or they are more reckless ....
Or they are being targeted by terrorists (which certainly seems true)
Or there really are no "fronts".
Or .....
None precludes the other, but really that's an astonishing comparison
3 - gonzo marx
excellent point, Temple...
and one that seems to give rise to Questioning the alleged "safety" of the "embed" program for Journalists
more Questions than Answers...
a true fucking shame
Excelsior!
4 - Scott Butki
Great questions, Temple. Thanks
5 - Scott Butki
Hmm, does this change anyone's thinking?
And an interesting observation within the latest Pressthink comments section from a reporter on the scene:E-mail from Felicity Barringer, New York Times:
Jay: You are critical of journalists in West Virginia for not being rigorous about confirming the initial report that the miners were alive. I'm not sure you mentioned that the report originated with relay communications from inside the mine and was delivered to the jam-packed command center by squawk box. Have you reported on Mr. Hatfield's description of how the erroneous report was widely disseminated by people in the command center who had heard it from rescuers within the mine?
I was in West Virginia, where cell phone and Internet connections are haphazard, when you first posted, and I had a few other things to do. So tell me: Have you mentioned the company's official explanation? It seems relevant, doesn't it?
I'm also curious about the hypothetical formulation that you recently put in the mouth of the CNN executive, which is written as if incorporating widely-known "facts." You write: "It is unacceptable to me that for three hours of live television, with our top talent presiding, we've got twelve men alive reported as truth, and we never saw those men, no ambulances for them ever moved, and we had no real confirmation. Just a bunch of people saying: yeah, that's what we heard."
FYI: a stream of ambulances arrived at the mine as the reports of the "miracle" began circulating. They briefly blocked the road from the mine office to the Sago church, forcing at least one journalist to run between the two venues in search of information.
Since you've had several days to find out whether ambulances were, in fact, dispatched, I'm sure you regret the inaccurate impression left by your column. And I'm confident you will correct it as visibly as you disseminated it, and explain where you got, and how you confirmed, the information that you give the color of fact. As I recall, standards for those reporting on the press are at least as high as those to which you hold other journalists.
Regards,
Felicity Barringer
6 - Scott Butki
For a fresh excellent look at what happened that nite read Derek Rose's blog
and tell me what you make of it.
7 - Scott Butki
A new media column I wrote talking about sex, death, mining, etc after I posted that the link to the column was just published