Honest reporting is not primarily what big media seem to do anymore--despite the fact that they hold most of the resources required to do serious investigative reporting. Essentially, it's because they trade friendly spin for access. Full Story »
Posted by Julian Friedland
Friedland asks some important questions in this piece, about what 'access' does to journalism, consumer denial about their partisan, bias confirming tendencies, and whether journalists today are even aware of what makes 'good journalism'. It's well sourced, and makes for an interesting read.
The question to me is whether it is possible in this highly competitive information age, for a mainstream news network to build a reputation on good old fashioned integrity and muckraking.
If enough people are not truly willing (or able) to seek hard-hitting news that reports and analyses (and at times opines) inconvenient and unwelcome truths, then the news market fails. At that point, which may already be upon us, we may need to protect and/or regulate it.
Judging by the slogans espousing objectivity we hear more and more (take Campbell Brown’s “no bias, no bull”) and consumer polls, this kind of thing would seem to be in demand—but perhaps most viewers only think they want objectivity while actually prefering subjectivity and bias that suits their preconceptions. Even so, I would hope enough reasonable and responsible viewers are out there for at least one network to truly distinguish itself in this way instead of peddling empty promises as Fox, the cable news leader does perhaps most preposterously of all, with its claim of being “fair and balanced” and so-called “no spin zone.”
