Microsoft's blast from the past

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Good point amid the dross

Much of the commentary is familiar, "No, the media are Right wing..." assertions. That's good for a political debate, but here the issue is misleading statements and the slanted presentation of facts in what purports to be a news story.

One good point:
Of course, that in many ways is the nature of today's front page and cable news. All the heavy hitting is saved for the front page "news analysis" stories. Better to get to the bottom of the President's political strategy and motivations for saying or doing something than to actually see if what is being said is true. It is the nature of the beast in today's news culture. What do you know more about? The inside baseball strategies of the Bush and Kerry camps or the details about (and the holes in) the policies they push?

There's still some debris to clear away, looking at this quote.
First, whether ultimately proven true or not, the "factual" basis on which the President makes a decision is news. Answers the "why" question.
Second, the "inside baseball" analyses have long been front page news. Why? Because people don't believe politicians. Instead of being among the rubes, those who are gulled, the reader is among the cynical, who studies how the rubes are being gulled. The public still gets to hear about the candidates' positions, but is given credit for sophistication.

The point that remains is: analyses are on the front page. Not on the op ed page, not a sidebar to the story. They are the story.

Why? Because a journalist who inserts himself into the story is more important than a journalist who just tells the story. And the most important, the very best journalists get to become columnists, and rarely have to report a story at all.
It's the star system applied to the news.
And for me that means going through the extra effort to strain out the opinions of someone whose insights are most valued within his immediate family. A knowledgeable person provides context, and that's useful. The definition of context is neutral information relevant to the events reported. A competent journalist is a knowledgeable person who wants the reader to draw his/her own conclusion.
As the saying goes, "If I wanted your opinion, I'd beat it out of you."

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 08/12/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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