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Fairness in the media? Totally truthful? Objective? Comprehensive?
Sorry, but this is more of a political/social question than one about
technical writing skills or journalism ethics.
Media bias is such a loaded phrase.
Do you think it is right-wing-neo-Nazis like Rush Limbaugh and his kind who
are "deliberately leading us astray", or is the dastardly deed being done by
those pinko-commie-leftists of the Washington Post?
Either way, it has always been a lie that journalism is objective. It cannot
be. It is created/committed by human beings who - try though they might -
are going to be human filters for whatever they see and however they
transcribe it. Some deliberately make no attempt to find some sort of
theoretical balance. Sometimes they call it an editorial or opinion piece.
Sometimes it's advocacy journalism, or gonzo journalism, or whatever you
want it to be.
Even deciding to try to give "balance" to a story is a personal, subjective
judgment.
When writing stories about abortion controversies in court or public debate,
I made certain to have exactly the same number of paragraphs and points on
one side as I did on the other. That way, both sides hated me and thought I
was biased for not giving their side more ink and for treating their "enemy"
positions with any respect at all. I tried balance, the only balance was
that both sides hated me equally because their side didn't appear to come
out on top. I didn't answer the questions with my stories, I simply helped
keep the debate going so that readers could form their own informed
opinions.
And if it was noble to balance that kind of story, then what should I do
when writing a story about the man charged with torturing and killing his
child? Should I give the defendant as much credence in the story as I do the
DA who is prosecuting? Should I refuse to print the story until I get enough
information from his side of it to give the story balance?
These are two extremes, but there is no balance in journalism. And, frankly,
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Journalism is committed by people. If you believe any source of information
is somehow "totally truthful, objective, or comprehensive", then you are
going through life with your eyes half closed and with blinders on.
-----
~Ed Gregory
Tech Writer and former long-time journalist
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+thewriteguy=thewritespot -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+thewriteguy=thewritespot -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Fetzner, Bill
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 1:35 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Tech writing saves journalism
David Durbin writes: <<Anyway, with abject apathy comes little need for the
media to be totally truthful, objective, or comprehensive in reporting
news.>>
To bring this back to the main focus of this list, technical writing, could
we make such a statement about technical writers today? Let's suppose that
there's a parallel between "the media" and the body of profession writers,
like those on this list, who are in the forefront of their respective
fields. If it's true that many professional journalists have lost their
truthful, balanced way, is there any evidence of that level of disregard
among professional technical writers? Is it fair to blame readers for poor
writing or for lowered standards of professional conduct? Should technical
writing be taught in J-schools to raise the standards and practices?
~ Bill
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