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Indeed, it does fulfill an important function; it makes journalists much harder to sue. The beauty of this fiction that journalists are not making a judgment c

Indeed, it does fulfill an important function; it makes journalists much harder to sue. The beauty of this fiction that journalists are not making a judgment call in choosing who to quote, on what topic, when, is that it makes some trusting people think they’re in some sense impartial. The internet has broken this fiction wide open. All kinds of authorities used to unthinking deference from their subjects are now having to deal with the fact that said subjects can now talk about them, with each other, in n public. See Martin Gurri, The Revolt of the Public. Newspapers may have shut down their comments sections but they haven’t shut down twitter, Facebook or other competing websites. So newspapers don’t get to control what the conversation is about any more and memory holing inconvenient principles is becoming more difficult. Twitter is the best thing to happen to accurate perception of the media ever. Unfiltered access to how journalists actually think, unimpeded by editors who want the public to trust them. No wonder trust in the media has been dropping for the past two decades.

akiselev 7y ago
> Twitter is the best thing to happen to accurate perception of the media ever. Unfiltered access to how journalists actually think, unimpeded by editors who want the public to trust them You think you have a more accurate perception thanks to Twitter. That's the product they've been selling since day one.
- fit2rule 7y ago
  Its not just Twitter. Its the entire open Internet. The exposure of corruption to the day of light occurs wherever free people are allowed to communicate, freely, for their own purposes. Twitter is just a manifestation of the human template.
Angostura 7y ago
> The beauty of this fiction that journalists are not making a judgment call in choosing who to quote, on what topic, What are you talking about? Careful language regarding certainty of a statement has got nothing to do with choice of interviewee or subject matter. Of course journalists make judgement calls about what subjects to cover and of course this shapes news coverage. You present this as some super-secret conspiracy, ‘broken wide open’ by the Internet. Did you really not know before then? Did you not read differing newspapers and spot that the choice of story and spin differed. Historically , what is pejoratively described as the ‘Main Stream Media’ has hosted journalists who care deeply about quality of reporting and getting the story straight, fact-checking and making sure that quotes are obtained from opposing points of view. It’s the internet and rolling news which has put a strain on the consensus.

akiselev 7y ago

> Twitter is the best thing to happen to accurate perception of the media ever. Unfiltered access to how journalists actually think, unimpeded by editors who want the public to trust them You think you have a more accurate perception thanks to Twitter. That's the product they've been selling since day one.

fit2rule 7y ago
Its not just Twitter. Its the entire open Internet. The exposure of corruption to the day of light occurs wherever free people are allowed to communicate, freely, for their own purposes. Twitter is just a manifestation of the human template.

Angostura 7y ago

> The beauty of this fiction that journalists are not making a judgment call in choosing who to quote, on what topic, What are you talking about? Careful language regarding certainty of a statement has got nothing to do with choice of interviewee or subject matter. Of course journalists make judgement calls about what subjects to cover and of course this shapes news coverage. You present this as some super-secret conspiracy, ‘broken wide open’ by the Internet. Did you really not know before then? Did you not read differing newspapers and spot that the choice of story and spin differed. Historically , what is pejoratively described as the ‘Main Stream Media’ has hosted journalists who care deeply about quality of reporting and getting the story straight, fact-checking and making sure that quotes are obtained from opposing points of view. It’s the internet and rolling news which has put a strain on the consensus.