One thing the late Walter Cronkite insisted upon was the nomenclature of journalists: They were to be referred to as “newsmen” and “newswomen,” rather than “reporters.” (Can’t find reference, but I seem to remember it in an interview…) In any case, I find that calling journalists “reporters” absolves them of the responsibility of the “balance” in their stories.
For instance, take Charles Lane’s Aug. 8 piece which codified the “OBAMA WILL KILL GRANNY” meme:
Section 1233, however, addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones. Supporters protest that they’re just trying to facilitate choice — even if patients opt for expensive life-prolonging care. I think they protest too much: If it’s all about obviating suffering, emotional or physical, what’s it doing in a measure to “bend the curve” on health-care costs?
Though not mandatory, as some on the right have claimed, the consultations envisioned in Section 1233 aren’t quite “purely voluntary,” as Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) asserts. To me, “purely voluntary” means “not unless the patient requests one.” Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive — money — to do so. Indeed, that’s an incentive to insist.
Let’s be clear here. Lane is a columnist here, not a journalist, and he is not required to follow the rules of “balance.” Nevertheless, he claims that he doesn’t necessarily believe the euthanasia story. He says he just has a feeling, a hunch, that the Democrats are complaining too much. He’s just “reporting” what he has learned.
This is the whole basis of a site like Politico — it “reports.” To refer back to Stephen Colbert’s Correspondent’s Dinner speech:
But, listen, let’s review the rules. Here’s how it works: the president makes decisions. He’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put ’em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know – fiction!
This is the kind of “reporting” that has done serious damage to the whole journalistic endeavor, and a style of journalism that persists whether online, in print or in between.
A better model for journalists to follow is to think of themselves as newsmen — following and discussing the news itself — rather than as reporters — merely cataloging “the news” and “getting the story” with only passing interest in its veracity.
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