Dopey Journalists
March 23, 2007 on 6:57 pm | In Media |
Sometimes (actually often) we journalists are just as blind to conflicts as those we cover. The LA Times publisher and editor did the right thing in this unseemly episode, but it looks like they only acted after reporters complained.
Thank goodnesss the dopey editorial page editor resigned. I don’t think I’d want him on my staff. Of course, this is not the first time the LAT has grappled with confilcts of interest. And it will surely not be the last.
Which brings to mind the question: “It’s rare that we learn of incidents like this one, so what’s going on in the netherworld of journalism that we never even find out about?”
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An unspoken truth about journalism is that the greatest sins are sins of omission, not comission — most especially what we either miss through lack of time or negligence or what we decide not to report.
Journalists have many potential strengths — skepticism, a willingness to challenge powerful institutions and received wisdom, an appreciation for the power of facts, for instance — but we are no more candid about ourselves than any other group of people.
Comment by Yankee — March 24, 2007 #
Interesting, Terry. A few years ago David Halberstam wrote a book about the press, The Powers That Be. Much of it was devoted to the Ooh LA LA Times. Wish he’d write a follow-up. Title of which might be The Worst and Not Exactly the Brightest. It’s too bad, really. That Times is the second largest paper in USA and has won its share of prizes. But it’s the surprises, like the one you just alerted us to, that tarnishes its image. Seems like there’s forever something rotten going on with its editorial page people.
Not good. It’s like reffing and umpiring. The best ones are the ones who go unnoticed and uncommented on. Their invisibilty speaks volumes about the job they’re doing. When they’re the ones making the news, something’s very wrong.
Comment by Terrence McCarthy — March 24, 2007 #