Reason and Radical

Top 10 Media Failings of 2004

http://mediamatters.org/items/200411050005#1

There’s more I could add, but this is a good start. The Scott Peterson trial is a good case in point -- the media has no clue what the larger issues are behind this case vis a vis the anti-choice movement. This case would not even be national news were it not for that, but the media doesn't have a clue.

The thing the media does that bothers me most is “on one hand, on the other hand.” This ridiculous approach in the name of “fairness” gives equal weight to things that are proven out and out lies and allows crap like Swift Boat to dominate the news for weeks. The media ought to be able to say “hey you know what, we looked at your claims and you’re full of shit, so we’re not going to cover your story.” But they don’t.

Part of it is corporate pressure, part of it is that a lot of people in the media, particularly on TV, are really not very bright and don’t know how to cover a story.

posted by Leimodnu @ 1:14 PM