A picture of the dog and the daughter, since, in different ways, they are the source of my inspiration and Lilly’s existence fuels my outrage and anger that will hopefully help me help us all wake up.
My sister-in-law, the generous Julia K., sent us a copy of Moyers on America by veteran journalist and all around amazing guy Bill Moyers. In his preface to the Anchor Book edition, Moyer writes trenchantly about why the “interests of the American public are so poorly served by an inside-the-beltway journalism that consistently fails…” the reasons he illuminates include the need for a news peg, and if the government or business doesn’t offer it, the media doesn’t report it. He also debunks objectivity, “which has come to mean allowing two different apologists or partisans to make totally opposite statements with only allegations offered as evidence. Two talking heads “debate the merits of the claims” and “verifiable facts [are] rarely offered to viewers…” “
Instead of acting as filters for the truth, instead of providing context, background or intent questioning, reporters act as if by providing two opposing yet often completely ungrounded, even PR firm scripted, views, we the viewers will be “arrive at the truth by splitting the difference.” Moyers points to one of the more incredibly insidious and dangerous assaults on truth. We know as good high school students in civics class that the media is supposed to be “objective.” But by presenting “objectivity” more and more as this mindless debating, we have come to the conclusion there are no facts, nobody knows, and therefore, why care?
I’ve been researching how to be a better truth finder. My intent is to resources that focus on helping us learn how to be better truth consumers or publish facts without hidden bias.
What do you think of these?
http://people-press.org/
http://mediachannel.org/
http://www.mediaed.org/news/articles/mediairaq
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=How_to_research_front_groups
http://www.freepress.net/content/beginners_guide
2 responses so far ↓
1 Michelle Ensminger Sep 17, 2005
This one might be helpful as well…
http://www.factcheck.org
It’s a site I like and was very helpful during the recent election.
2 C. Tschanz Sep 19, 2005
Unfortunately, it is my experience that everyone has an agenda. While occasionally, I might buy into the agenda, it does not change that people are motivated by their beliefs, opinions, and biases. To search for the truth and facts, is a search for a holy grail – some thing that is unattainable. Instead, I would propose a search for information enough to make a decision, or to support an opinion.
In my own search for information, I have become preoccupied with asking and finding questions – questions that were not asked and probably should have been. Secretly, I think those who know me would prefer that I stop asking questions. I have found editorials to be a wonderful source of questions, particularly from newspapers local to the area of the story. The earliest reports of a big news story (before the “spin” has started) can be a source of questions – some of which will remain unanswered in mainstream reporting. In addition, I have found it illuminating to read the news from other countries, particularly in regards to events in the United States. I would suggest that Russian, English, German, French, Israeli, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Australian mainstream news media provide information with a filter that is not as familiar as the news reporting from the United States. It has been my experience, that the “facts” are the bits of information that remain the same from one to the next. I will also note here that I have discovered that this practice is rather time consuming.
I realize this post is about finding truth, but to me the truth has always been rather elusive, whereas asking questions and contemplating the answers given (or not) have gained me a greater understanding of a complex situation.