4 ms·

Starting with paragraphs of side-story primed my bullshit detector as well and it kept flagging this article: not only is there too much text that has little to

Starting with paragraphs of side-story primed my bullshit detector as well and it kept flagging this article: not only is there too much text that has little to do with the headline, the paragraphs that focus on the subject hide wild claims behind citations. "U.S. officials were reported to have said" is an honest attribution, but not a quality source. However, the author has to deal with the problem that rumors are all we have. There are no new facts in this article, it's a write up of what is known, garnished with tales of journalists at work, intended for those who are new to the topic. (Edit: skipping the first ten looses the explanation of "air-gapped device" and what "transcription" even is.) The relevant key elements for the topic are all there: undisclosed third parties, outsourcing to cheap labor, spy agency backdoors, governments wanting blanked access, subpoenas against sources and journalists, bad tech, bad laws, data breaches, hacks and overly broad clauses in the service contracts. But it is too shallow, not intended for those who already knew that and hoped for details and depth. For a moment the article even hit my advertisement detection due to the way the "list of transcription services" at the end is formatted, how brand names are sprinkled in, how the author tries to avoid making it too one sided (which is a good thing!) and how the investigative journalists approach is related to overpacking and old fashioned motels. I suspected a bait and switch: bait with a cautionary tale, switch into a sales pitch. But the author says he does not endorse any of the named services and the short reviews focus on problems with their policies. Overall i find it ok, even if it is a bit too heavy on the narrative of this journalist protects his sources, be like him for my taste. EDIT: i ran the literal quotes through google and i think these are interviews backing the article as primary sources. This is no bullshit, it's good and honest work.

MaxikCZ 6y ago
When the article starts like this one...: > When Michael Lista went to stay 10 days at a lonely, one-storey motel in Emerson, Manitoba ...I immidiatelly close the site and make a mental note of the "dont open links from this site again". Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one. I came to read info, not authors attempt at a short novel.
- Jon_Lowtek 6y ago
  Well the Magazine calls itself "[__] Review of Journalism" and many of the articles seem to start with a story about a specific journalist that is exemplary for the topic. It's a brand thing. If you really dislike it, then this magazine is not for you. Personally this narrative oriented style has me on edge about rhetoric subterfuge. It feels like a sleight of hand, like a Kansas City shuffle, like a trick to fly fiction, an advertorial, or opinion below the radar.

MaxikCZ 6y ago

When the article starts like this one...: > When Michael Lista went to stay 10 days at a lonely, one-storey motel in Emerson, Manitoba ...I immidiatelly close the site and make a mental note of the "dont open links from this site again". Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one. I came to read info, not authors attempt at a short novel.

Jon_Lowtek 6y ago
Well the Magazine calls itself "[__] Review of Journalism" and many of the articles seem to start with a story about a specific journalist that is exemplary for the topic. It's a brand thing. If you really dislike it, then this magazine is not for you. Personally this narrative oriented style has me on edge about rhetoric subterfuge. It feels like a sleight of hand, like a Kansas City shuffle, like a trick to fly fiction, an advertorial, or opinion below the radar.