On Media
(Odd bits about the business)

SOME FEEL BRITS BETRAYED BY BBC MORNING SHOW - THE TELEGRAPH, UK

"Lately that definition has narrowed. Now Today is simply the platform from which, on May 29, Andrew Gilligan broadcast grave allegations about the truthfulness of the Government's case for war with Iraq. Gilligan's claims have put Today's journalistic standards under unprecedented scrutiny."
So sayeth Tim Luckhurst, reflecting on the morning show on “the tele” that BBC puts on. Spin trumped reporting, according to at least one BBC reporter. And she was the one who got to talk to Kelly, the key source who later killed himself. Getting the thing right about bogus nuke claims concerning Iraq wasn’t enough. It had to be spun up a few notches to satisfy the BBC higher ups. Everyone knows Saddam was trying to get nukes. Hell, I wouldn’t mind having one, either. Guess a confession by Tony Blair would have been better.
All in all, a nice way to get the focus off the main question. Namely, whether preemptive war is the American, or even the smart, way.
You decide.
A more balanced report can be found in the Daily Times piece, “ BBC under pressure over dead UK weapons expert.”

ONWARD WESTERN JOURNALISTS - CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

Kim Campell reports on, “Building a free press in world's hot spots.” A growing industry, she says. Many apply, but only a few are experienced and sturdy enough to do the job. Those who do face rewards—and also anti-Americanism and the suspician that they may be spies.

THE NINE MEDIA FIRMS THAT DOMINATE THE WORLD-AL JAZEERAH (sort of)

Funny, but this showed up on Al Jazeerah’s website. Apparently it was expropriated from Robert W. McChesney of globalpolicy.org. Who knows if it will actually get through to those who watch the “unbiased” reportage from this source. Can’t hurt.
“In some ways, the emerging global commercial media system is not an entirely negative proposition. It occasionally promotes anti-racist, anti-sexist or anti-authoritarian messages that can be welcome in some of the more repressive corners of the world. But on balance the system has minimal interest in journalism or public affairs except for that which serves the business and upper-middle classes, and it privileges just a few lucrative genres that it can do quite well--like sports, light entertainment and action movies--over other fare. Even at its best the entire system is saturated by a hyper-commercialism, a veritable commercial carpetbombing of every aspect of human life. As the C.E.O. of Westinghouse put it (Advertising Age, 2/3/97), ‘We are here to serve advertisers. That is our raison d'etre.’”

AGE NO WORRY TO THE WEST'S NEW CHIEF- THE AUSTRALIAN, AUSTRALIA

Paul Armstrong, the new editor of The West Australian plans to inject life into what this article alleges “some” say is a sleepy pub that doesn’t stand for anything. His take on the business, as follows: “Age is irrelevant," Armstrong says. "Experience is relevant. And whether I have the experience will be for others to judge." Besides, he says, Piers Morgan was made editor of the Daily Mirror in London at the age of 30 – "and he's still there seven years later.”

SMUG JOURNALISM - WASHINGTON POST, DC

Robert Samuelson, WP political columnist opines, “no place in American journalism is so smug and superior as the New York Times.” He makes a good case. But WP is probably No. 3 (Wall Street Journal gets my vote for second place.)

MINORITY JOURNALISM ORGANIZATIONS: DO THEY MATTER? YES! - Poynter.org, FL

Typical navel gazing and lack of historical or social context afflicts this piece. After becoming, at the ripe age of 31, a features design editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune, this Asian-American learns that respect for his elders, being modest and all that stuff he thought was proper was…an impediment to his progress and came from his inappropriate cultural heritage. A workshop at the AAJA taught him the error of his ways. “I could, for the first time in my life, do things my way and do things for me. I could self-promote without seeming cocky. I could ask for what I want without seeming greedy. I could finally walk into a room, chin up and chest out, and feel like I belong.”
In short, he had been helped to become a typical gen-Xer. How wonderful for him…and terrible for journalism.

VHS JOURNALISM TEACHER SORMAZ ATTENDS HARVARD MEDIA WORKSHOP - MUNSTER TIMES, IN

One of 90 secondary school educators from 31 states, Gordana Sormaz of Valparaiso High School made the cut and took the seven-day program at the prestigious institution. Favorite quote from the story? “Participants described the institute as “invaluable.” QUOTE FROM SORMAZ IN HERE”. No kiddin’.

SIDING WITH THE POWERLESS: IDEAS FROM 60 YEARS IN JOURNALISM - SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, UT

Uncle Walter (Crionkite) speaks plain in his column. The last journalist trusted by most talks about the heart of the matter. “We reached our intellectual adulthood with daily close-ups of the inequality in a nation that was founded on the commitment to equality for all. So we are inclined to side with the powerless rather than the powerful.” The shrill neocon nabobs of jingoism’ll probably crush him, but at least a sober voice now speaks in the wilderness.

OHIO STATE TO REVISE JOURNALISM PROGRAM IN 2004 - DAYTON DAILY NEWS, OH

Not enough fellows applied, so the funding got pulled until 2004. The aim: attract for seasoned fellows to do more independent research by nixing required courses.

UNC JOURNALISM PROFESSOR SAYS POLS LIE, PEOPLE OK IT - DURHAM HERALD SUN, NC

At the Society for Ethical Culture, Chuck Stone, UNC's Walter Spearman Professor of Journalism, reveals that politicians lie, and we let them. Heck, pretty much every walk of life (talked to any businessmen lately?) is full of liars these days. Ironically, Stone refers to Socrates in his shtick, a man who had to deal with a few liars in his day.


¶ 11:37 AM