Eric Boehlert at Media Matters fires off a quick missive with very interesting implications. In a brief attempt to draw a bit of context in to the discussion of the economic recovery plans of the Obama administration, Boehlert cites Gingrich’s 1993 claim that the then Clinton administration policy would wreak havoc on the economy. If that claim was faulty, why then do reporters repeat identical Republican sound bites 15 years later, Boehlert wonders, when they’ve been shown to be less than accurate economic predictors?
Boehlert calls for context in political reporting, but he’s not likely to see it from the mainstream media (MSM).
HERE’S WHY: Context, history, call it what you will - most publisher’s pets editors label clear, contextual journalism with dirty words like analysis, editorial or bias and cut it for “space considerations.” It makes you wonder how many journalistic conventions are based on the dying dead paid-print advertising model which only supported X column inches of news per Y column inches of advertising.
JUST WONDERING: Wouldn’t it be great if most news beats could be divided in to “breaking news” and “news context.”?
{ 0 comments… add one now }