“If you don’t want to work, become a reporter. That awful power, the public opinion of a nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditch digging and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse.” - Mark Twain, Connecticut Evening Dinner Club, ca. 1888
My sense was always that reporters, regardless of their background, ought to be smart enough to ascertain the facts and report them. Their background might affect how they thought about those facts, but that's not relevant to determining the truth.
As I look back on my TV news days, I remember heated arguments in several newsrooms about the angle and approach to covering certain stories. For example; as a Black woman sent to cover the KKK, my impressions were likely different than a reporter not targeted by the hate group. The answer has to be diverse newsrooms in management and reporting staff. Ignorance is baked into a system of one perspective. As my mom used to tell us, "what you don't know could make another entire world."
Agreed. I don't like any bias in reporting, but we're all human, even journalists. I was probably seeing the results of Cox Media ownership of Axios in the articles to which I took Issue. I was surprised to see a subtle rightwing bias, at the time, probably about 5 mos., ago. Before that, I'd been following Axios for a couple of years and liked their reporting.
What is sad, is that the sensationalistic, pugilistic and grievance style of our current, rightwing media outlets, is apparently easy to monetize and popular for the ignorant. Especially, if the only goal is becoming uber-rich, ethics and truth be damned. Meanwhile progressive media outlets have never fared as well.
Couple that with the fact that Murdoch and his type, like Rush Limbaugh, Fox hosts, etc., were and are being handsomely rewarded to spread propaganda for foreign governments and the fossil fuels indusrty, for example, regardless of the deleterious effects on democracies and the planet. It is cynical misuse of the founders' intent when mandating free press for our country. Truly sad and overwhelming.
Axios is all about money, They seem informative, until you follow them more intently. They spread pablum in the guise of a more progressive outlet. I take their output with a grain of salt after having been compelled to research their ownership because what I was reading from them was subtly pushing rightwing talking points. It's no suprise they buckled to a fascist like DeSantis. At least we expect Fox to provide deliberate propaganda. Axios is the fox guarding the hen house.
My sense was always that reporters, regardless of their background, ought to be smart enough to ascertain the facts and report them. Their background might affect how they thought about those facts, but that's not relevant to determining the truth.
As I look back on my TV news days, I remember heated arguments in several newsrooms about the angle and approach to covering certain stories. For example; as a Black woman sent to cover the KKK, my impressions were likely different than a reporter not targeted by the hate group. The answer has to be diverse newsrooms in management and reporting staff. Ignorance is baked into a system of one perspective. As my mom used to tell us, "what you don't know could make another entire world."
Agreed. I don't like any bias in reporting, but we're all human, even journalists. I was probably seeing the results of Cox Media ownership of Axios in the articles to which I took Issue. I was surprised to see a subtle rightwing bias, at the time, probably about 5 mos., ago. Before that, I'd been following Axios for a couple of years and liked their reporting.
What is sad, is that the sensationalistic, pugilistic and grievance style of our current, rightwing media outlets, is apparently easy to monetize and popular for the ignorant. Especially, if the only goal is becoming uber-rich, ethics and truth be damned. Meanwhile progressive media outlets have never fared as well.
Couple that with the fact that Murdoch and his type, like Rush Limbaugh, Fox hosts, etc., were and are being handsomely rewarded to spread propaganda for foreign governments and the fossil fuels indusrty, for example, regardless of the deleterious effects on democracies and the planet. It is cynical misuse of the founders' intent when mandating free press for our country. Truly sad and overwhelming.
Axios is all about money, They seem informative, until you follow them more intently. They spread pablum in the guise of a more progressive outlet. I take their output with a grain of salt after having been compelled to research their ownership because what I was reading from them was subtly pushing rightwing talking points. It's no suprise they buckled to a fascist like DeSantis. At least we expect Fox to provide deliberate propaganda. Axios is the fox guarding the hen house.