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Journalism is publishing the truth that someone does not want told; all else is stenography and marketing. We, the people formerly known as the audience recogn
by olefoo 12y ago
Journalism is publishing the truth that someone does not want told; all else is stenography and marketing.
We, the people formerly known as the audience recognize this. We can tell when we are being lied to. We can tell when the truth is being shaded to benefit the beneficiaries of the status quo.
If you hand us shit and call it ice cream we still aren't going to like it, on facebook or anywhere else. We know that our vaunted 'free press' is a bought and paid for lie. We know that much of what passes for journalism is a ham-handed attempt to manufacture social proof for the acceptance of the current order of things.
Burn it down. All the way down. We're going back to word of mouth, moderated by cryptographically attested pseudonymous identities because that will work so much better...
- pron 12y ago> Journalism is publishing the truth that someone does not want told; all else is stenography and marketing. Well, it's certainly that, too. But journalism can also be about uncovering truths that hardly anyone knows about, or telling stories that help us understand the world. > We're going back to word of mouth, moderated by cryptographically attested pseudonymous identities because that will work so much better... You're probably being sarcastic, but even if word of mouth never passed straight out lies and total myths, journalism isn't just about reporting facts, but putting them in perspective. Perspective is necessary because there are simply too many facts for you to digest. A professional journalist hopefully keeps track of all pertinent facts of her beat, and reports the most important stories in context. Word of mouth can, at most, be a data collection mechanism. In fact, word of mouth is one of the inputs a journalist works with; it certainly can't substitute the final product.
- SideburnsOfDoom 12y ago> Well, it's certainly that, too. This is a version of a quotation, ""Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." It is usually attributed to George Orwell, but it may be older: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:George_Orwell#Attribution.3F_-_.22Journalism_is_printing_something....22 http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:George_Orwell#Attribution....
- jevgeni 12y agoYou aren't a day over 19, are you? P.S. No, wait, I can't really tell, if you are being sarcastic or not, so sorry if you are.
- jevgeni 12y agoWow, I got pummeled there. Ok, so maybe someone would care to explain, how the belief, that encrypted, anonymous and unaccountable news sources would be any better, than journalistic outlets whose profits depend on their reputation; how that belief is not infantile? Why is it not possible, that groups opposed to transparency, like for example certain governmental organizations, would be able to join in the fun and flood the "encrypted, word of mouth, anonymous" space with their own opinions and propaganda?
- ssdfsdf 12y agoI agree. I am not convinced that such a system is better. But I don't think the opinion expressed is infantile. Angry yes, difficult to convincingly argue, sure. But wrong? Who knows...
- lmm 12y agoEven if you were right, that comment was unconstructive. If you think someone's wrong, argue the other side, don't just call them names. And equating youth with stupidity is as dumb as it is rude.
- olefoo 12y agoI was actually being quite intentionally sarcastic. And I'm not 19 and haven't been for quite some time. I basically treat HN the way Jenn Schiffer treats Medium, as a venue for satirical performance art.
- SideburnsOfDoom 12y agoThis is a rant, but there's something to it. Seeing as how the article is about the New York Times, and how real "quality journalism" is bold, "publishing the truth that someone does not want told" here's some more about how the NYT is not as bold and independent a journalistic establishment as it might be: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/10/edward-snowden-nytimes-warrantless-wiretapping-story_n_3418503.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/10/edward-snowden-nyti... http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/glenn-greenwald-michael-kinsley-new-york-times-lock-up-snowden http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/glenn-greenwald-michae...
- pron 12y agoActually, both links point at a very serious debate among journalists, and at a very responsible handling of delicate issues. No one says journalism is about telling all the truth someone does not want told as soon as you know it.
- walshemj 12y agoJournalism is publishing the truth that your owners want :-) see the Barclay brothers and the Daily Telegraph. or the BBC bashing that both the Guardian and Murdochs papers do. Funny how their lawyers jumped on Nadine Dories when she suggested that they published the expenses scandal to derail the cross party alliance on shutting down the tax havens in the channel islands.
- mseebach 12y agoThat's why having more than one media outlet is important.