Whats So Funny About News, Comment and Understanding?
Jay Rosen is a man whose views on journalism and the future of media I take very seriously. A month ago he posted a long piece attacking the He Said, She Said formula of journalism. We all know what that is – a convenient journalistic tool for presenting at least two sides to any issue. Jay calls it false balance, often the lame acceptance of fact-free spin, which leaves the reader helpless in understanding where truth lies. He attacks the “straight down the middle” impulse saying it is no longer acceptable when the web can provide so much material to help call out distortions and untruths. And certainly the example he cites, from the New York Times, is spectacularly lame. I agree with the thrust of what he’s saying, but was left uncomfortable for, I think, three reasons. Firstly, I’m not sure it’s the He Said, She Said formula that is really the problem. What Jay, and others, are really and rightly attacking is lazy journalism. That can take many forms. Be it for reasons of competence
Whats So Funny About News, Comment and Understanding?