Category Archives: Fairness

Defining Civility

Accountability, Accuracy, Fairness, Freedom of Speech, Independence, Media, , , , , ,

Defining civility: The Washington Post’s editorial board sees strong political feelings spilling over into the private sphere.

“We understand the strength of feelings, but we don’t think the spilling is a healthy development,” says the board. “Those who are insisting that we are in a special moment justifying incivility should think for a moment how many Americans might find their own special moment.”

Other views on civility and media appear in Commentary, Vice, Salon, the Washington Post, the New York Times and Vox.

Paying Sources Akin To Paying For Sex

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Paying sources akin to paying for sex: Canadian editor Erica Lenti argues for reconsidering the staunch rule against paying sources for information.

“What’s important — for editors, writers and all journalists in this countryh (Canada) — is to make considerations and break the rules when they need to be broken,” she writes in This Magazine, a Canadian political publication based in Toronto.

Following The Money

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Following the money: Mya Frazier reports that an obscure accounting rule change allowed an alert reporter to discover how millions of dollars were siphoned from public services through tax breaks.

“Although Statement 77 was not intended as a tool for the press, the new disclosures have become a font of valuable information for journalists,” she wrote.

Hate Groups Manipulate Media

Accountability, Accuracy, Fairness, Independence, Media, Minimizing Harm, Social Media, Transparency, Using Deception, , ,

Hate groups manipulate media: Whitney Phillips warns that journalists covering hate groups unwittingly spread their hateful ideology and other false and misleading narratives “with news coverage itself harnessed to fuel hate, confusion and discord.”

 

Crazy Media Poll Answers Kill Public Trust

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Crazy media poll answers kill public trust: Davide W. Moore explores CBS News poll on investigation into Trump administration ties to Russia.

“Apart from the confusing wording of the initial question, the poll results suffer from not measuring how strongly people feel about the issue,” writes Moore. “It’s highly unlikely that 95 percent of the public has thought carefully about the issues involved in the investigation, yet that is what the poll results suggest.”

Trump Porn Stifles News Gathering

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Trump porn stifles news gathering: Nicholas Kristof writes that the national nonstop focus on Trump takes attention away from major issues like drug overdoses and shorter life expectancy.

“The biggest Trump scandals aren’t those unfolding in Washington, but those devastating the lives of the poor and vulnerable in distant American towns,” he writes.

World Press Freedom Day

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World Press Freedom Day: Brian Stelter reports that dozens of news organizations join forces to promote high-quality journalism.

“It’s unusual to see media companies encouraging people to check out rival brands,” says Stelter. “The New York Times, in a print ad on Tuesday, is recommending its arch-rival The Wall Street Journal.” The move encourages the public to seek other sources of news.

Michelle Wolf’s Jokes

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Michelle Wolf’s jokes: Jen Chaney writes that the comedienne’s jokes at the White House Correspondent’s dinner were misunderstood, scathing, unapologetic and often funny.

“They’re missing the underlying point of Wolf’s comedy: That what should concern every American are the smokescreens that Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other members of the Trump administration create, and that make it so hard for White House correspondents to uncover the actual truth.”