Comments on: Just the Facts?: Partisanship and the Press http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press VFH Radio at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:28:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tom Mason http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-222 Tom Mason Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:02:46 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-222 A professional historic observation went by quickly, but has been bothering me, "The 'pyramid style' of reporting came from frequnet telegraph outages, requiring that the 'core story' be contained in the first paragraph. I dispute this and ask you for genuine historic justification. 1) Good presentation requires a "hook" at the immediate introduction - this is as true of journalism as with "Law and Order" on TV. 2) ACTION ITEM: Pull up some posters and handbills produced before the telegraph and see if they also follow the "pyramid style." A professional historic observation went by quickly, but has been bothering me, “The ‘pyramid style’ of reporting came from frequnet telegraph outages, requiring that the ‘core story’ be contained in the first paragraph.

I dispute this and ask you for genuine historic justification.

1) Good presentation requires a “hook” at the immediate introduction – this is as true of journalism as with “Law and Order” on TV.

2) ACTION ITEM: Pull up some posters and handbills produced before the telegraph and see if they also follow the “pyramid style.”

]]> By: anne schott http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-221 anne schott Mon, 11 May 2009 20:35:29 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-221 Anyone who has ever written a news story knows that true objectivity is very hard to achieve, not because the writer is particularly biased, but because the effort to write a concise and interesting report , tends to favor whoever gives you the most cogent quotes and influences where you begin and how you end the piece. You have only one opening and one closing sentence. Any reporter who writes frequently on controversial topics has experienced attacks from both sides of the dispute claiming bias that favored their opponent. Anyone who has ever written a news story knows that true objectivity is very hard to achieve, not because the writer is particularly biased, but because the effort to write a concise and interesting report , tends to favor whoever gives you the most cogent quotes
and influences where you begin and how you end the piece. You have only one opening and one closing sentence.

Any reporter who writes frequently on controversial topics has experienced attacks from both sides of the dispute claiming bias that favored their opponent.

]]> By: Marcus Daniel On Backstory : OUPblog http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-220 Marcus Daniel On Backstory : OUPblog Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:16:17 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-220 [...] were essential to the creation of modern-day politics.  On March 27th, Daniel was interviewed on Backstory, a brand-new public radio program that brings historical perspective to the events happening around [...] [...] were essential to the creation of modern-day politics.  On March 27th, Daniel was interviewed on Backstory, a brand-new public radio program that brings historical perspective to the events happening around [...]

]]> By: radionut http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-219 radionut Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:39:11 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-219 i wonder if the solution to newspapers' coming end-times would be for them to reject the corporate model and re-structure as nonprofits. Without pressure to make a profit for shareholders, there would be a lot less agony every day for reporters over, "Is this my last day on the job?" i wonder if the solution to newspapers’ coming end-times would be for them to reject the corporate model and re-structure as nonprofits. Without pressure to make a profit for shareholders, there would be a lot less agony every day for reporters over, “Is this my last day on the job?”

]]> By: Kathy Smith http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-218 Kathy Smith Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:03:54 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-218 In Dallas, Texas we have only one major newspaper. It editorializes its articles including the front page. It would appear that it prints whatever it takes to sell the newspaper, not even attempting to give balanced coverage which could allow the present reader to make informed decisions; and the future historian, gather an accurate picture. This newspaper's front page articles seem intent on inflaming rather than informing. Yes, biased reporting can influence people more than objective reporting. This is called propaganda. It would be refreshing to have articles that show the tremendous good our troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the difference our being there can and will have on our nation and the world. My question is, what can we as citizens do to make the news media more responsible? In Dallas, Texas we have only one major newspaper. It editorializes its articles including the front page. It would appear that it prints whatever it takes to sell the newspaper, not even attempting to give balanced coverage which could allow the present reader to make informed decisions; and the future historian, gather an accurate picture. This newspaper’s front page articles seem intent on inflaming rather than informing. Yes, biased reporting can influence people more than objective reporting. This is called propaganda.

It would be refreshing to have articles that show the tremendous good our troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the difference our being there can and will have on our nation and the world.

My question is, what can we as citizens do to make the news media more responsible?

]]> By: Asad Raza http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-217 Asad Raza Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:15:18 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-217 Hi Tony, I have a question. It's a lot easier to idealize "objectivity" when there's only one newspaper, rather than many. When I was about 10 in Buffalo there was a huge outcry about the closing of the Buffalo Courier-Express, the thought being that without two major papers a city would lack proper press scrutiny. Nowadays, most local papers are shells that operate local news and sports departments and get almost everything else from wire reports and nationally syndicated columnists. My question is, has this contraction had the strange result of enshrining the importance of the New York Times, the "serious" paper? How far back does the Times' reputation as the "paper of record" stretch? In, say, 1920, was the Times perceived as just another paper of many? Hi Tony, I have a question. It’s a lot easier to idealize “objectivity” when there’s only one newspaper, rather than many. When I was about 10 in Buffalo there was a huge outcry about the closing of the Buffalo Courier-Express, the thought being that without two major papers a city would lack proper press scrutiny. Nowadays, most local papers are shells that operate local news and sports departments and get almost everything else from wire reports and nationally syndicated columnists. My question is, has this contraction had the strange result of enshrining the importance of the New York Times, the “serious” paper? How far back does the Times’ reputation as the “paper of record” stretch? In, say, 1920, was the Times perceived as just another paper of many?

]]> By: cVillain » Blog Archive » Share Your Thoughts on Objectivity in Media http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-216 cVillain » Blog Archive » Share Your Thoughts on Objectivity in Media Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:11:20 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-216 [...] We’re a call-in show and we’re currently looking for callers for our “Just the Facts?: Partisanship and the Press” show, which will examine how the American media has negotiated the line between partisanship and “objectivity” over time. More specifically, we’re out to call into question listeners’ assumptions about how bias has operated in American journalism in the past (for most of our history, partisanship was the major driving force rather and something to be avoided). A blurb for the show is available here: http://www.backstoryradio.org/2009/01/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/ [...] [...] We’re a call-in show and we’re currently looking for callers for our “Just the Facts?: Partisanship and the Press” show, which will examine how the American media has negotiated the line between partisanship and “objectivity” over time. More specifically, we’re out to call into question listeners’ assumptions about how bias has operated in American journalism in the past (for most of our history, partisanship was the major driving force rather and something to be avoided). A blurb for the show is available here: http://www.backstoryradio.org/2009/01/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/ [...]

]]> By: Radionut http://backstoryradio.org/2009/03/just-the-facts-partisanship-and-the-press/comment-page-1/#comment-215 Radionut Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:54:38 +0000 http://www.backstoryradio.org/?p=296#comment-215 As a current copy editor and former reporter on a daily paper, i can tell you that sometimes, striving for "objectivity" backfires. In the coverage of the "debate" over creationism vs. evolution, for example, you can do a huge disservice to readers by giving equal number of column-inches to crackpots just because they are on the "other side." Likewise, in covering a war, do you resort to calling folks who set off suicide bombs near schools, shopping malls, restaurants "militants"? Many of our news media do. And I'm sure they do it because it sounds more "objective" than the more accurate "terrorists." As a current copy editor and former reporter on a daily paper, i can tell you that sometimes, striving for “objectivity” backfires. In the coverage of the “debate” over creationism vs. evolution, for example, you can do a huge disservice to readers by giving equal number of column-inches to crackpots just because they are on the “other side.” Likewise, in covering a war, do you resort to calling folks who set off suicide bombs near schools, shopping malls, restaurants “militants”? Many of our news media do. And I’m sure they do it because it sounds more “objective” than the more accurate “terrorists.”

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