As a person who’s always been fascinated with Journalism, although myself pretty much an amateur, I have admired those writers who bring us the facts – “Just the facts, ma’am”. But in reality, even the facts can be used in a biased way. That is often done by the omission technique, by leaving out some of the facts.
So for me, all journalism has a bias, and I like it when a writer acknowledges that bias, and makes it clear. However, news and important events don’t happen in a vacuum, but in an environment of conflicting opinions and attitudes – involving people from different cultures, with different histories, emotions and ambitions. So the very best writers are able to step back a bit, and see the many shades of grey in a story.
And the other great qualities in a journalist are what I would call grace and respect. This becomes important in interviews. The really great journalist is one who knows the facts, and asks the hard questions in a courteous way. This is why I’ve always preferred the “mainstream” journalists, who have achieved that level of confidence, and have the backing, and funding, of a reputable professional journal to support their work.
But what’s happening now?
There are still some great mainstream journalists out there, doing their valuable work. I have mentioned some, in previous articles. But what about the current status of ‘reputable professional journals”?
In today’s news, one of the world’s top journalists is herself the news, on this very topic:
Christiane Amanpour Lays Out Her Fear for CNN With Blistering Attack on David Ellison’s CBS ‘Realignment’:
“Christiane Amanpour pointed to the “ideological realignment” at CBS News on Wednesday as she expressed her “concern” at what her own network might look like under the oversight of incoming owner David Ellison.
“Clearly I’m concerned, and I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say about a corporate thing that’s underway, but I am, obviously, as a person, as a journalist with a record, concerned,” Amanpour said. “And I’m concerned based on what’s happened to the other things that he’s taken over already like CBS News right? I mean, do I have to list what’s happening there?”
Amanpour is not just anybody in the journalistic world. For one thing, Wikipedia lists her 35+ prestigious awards, and her membership of important global media organisations. She is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and journalist safety. I have admired her articles on world leaders, and controversial figures, and her respectful but persistent, questioning of them – for example, in interviewing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Some of Amanpour’s principles on reporting:
“There are some situations one simply cannot be neutral about, because when you are neutral, you are an accomplice. Objectivity doesn’t mean treating all sides equally. It means giving each side a hearing.” (The New York Times).
“Some people accused me of being pro–Muslim in Bosnia, but I realized that our job is to give all sides an equal hearing, but in cases of genocide, you can’t just be neutral. You can’t just say, “Well, this little boy was shot in the head and killed in besieged Sarajevo and that guy over there did it, but maybe he was upset because he argued with his wife.” No, there is no equality, and we had to tell the truth.” (The Guardian).
I think that I left out another quality essential in a great journalist – a humanitarian outlook, which clearly Christiane Amanpour has in spades. That is another reason why her concern about changes at CBS and CNN is significant.
For a long time, I’ve been worried about the mainstream media’s self-censorship, especially here in Australia, where we’re supposed to have such freedom of the press. How long is real freedom of the press going to last, here, or anywhere?
In the meantime, I do think that it is up to the ever-more important alternative media to keep on trying to get the facts out, but with recognition of those shades of grey, and some respect for the individuals involved in those events.
Australia has inherited an absolutely adversarial legal system, and now has an absurdly adversarial political system. We need commentary that is broader, more willing to pay attention to conflicting views.
A case in point is the current Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. We in the alternative media are quick to pounce on this as kow-towing to the prevailing pro-Zionist propaganda. But in reality, already the Commission has allowed the voice of the Jewish Council, an organisation that is critical of Israel. And as for the Royal Commissioner, Virginia Bell – she has had a distinguished career in support of human rights. And I ask you – what better recommendation can Virginia Bell have, than this – from Liberal former treasurer and Jewish Australian Josh Frydenberg?:
“It is unthinkable the Prime Minister would choose a Commissioner that did not have the total confidence of the Jewish community.”
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The other too frequent characteristic of Australian ”journalism” is the ”yellow journalism” that requires the subject to be denigrated, even slightly.
This style has been manicured in the Murdocracy Media Manipulation Monopoly since the 1974 pronouncement by the CEO for journalists at ”The Australian” and ”Sydney Daily Mirror”: ”I don’t care what you write about Whitlam; make him look bad”.
This reversal of support was retaliation for missing out on the Washington Ambassadorship of that time, despite being the only mastheads that supported the Whitlam Labor government in the pre-1972 election period. Nothing has changed since, except the media empire has expanded and the denigration has become more inaccurate and spiteful.
We must remember that the masthead owners have their own subtle ways of controlling what articles are written. Over at the Daily Telegraph, when owned by the Packer family, journalists were expected to ”understand” what would be the position of the owners on any particular topic. Go against that knowledge and find another job.
Commissioner,Virginia Bell has already stated at the Royal Commission, on the subject of so called antisemitism in Australia, that it is clearly linked to events in the Middle East.
Later this year the place where news goes to die, Sky News Australia will no longer be able to use that name and will become News24 but will continue to broadcast right-wing ‘opinions’ masquerading as news.
I recall growng up with firming dislike of our journalismm, and it became disgust at times. The Truth was a disgrace, the Sun and Telegraph stuffy and unreliable, the Herald ponderous and local papers for firestarting and pets usage. Sydney radio was just as worse. Then T V came…dive…Imperious owners have always tried to “run the country, as it should be run.” Rothermere, Beaverbrook, Northcliffe, Harmsworthes, Black, the odious Murdochs, bully Packers, etc. what a pot of stench.
John Adams, a Founding Father, the first U.S. Vice President to George Washington and the second U.S. President, is known for his blunt, intellectual, and often cynical reflections on politics, liberty, and human nature. His notable quotes frequently emphasize the importance of education, the dangers of unbridled power, and the high cost of freedom. In October 1770, Adams gained fame after defending the British soldiers who were charged for the Boston Massacre. During that defence trial Adams presented this now famous quote: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
We see that willywhacking wierdo Wilson, a recently recycled and returned grub, is the type to be sought by journalist, actually the owners, to offer free kicks to the nuts of opponents, no whistles, no penalties. Brainless. Seeking truth is like seeking the dodo…
@NW: “….This is why I’ve always preferred the “mainstream” journalists, …”
The problem now is that MSM is “triple censored”: The journalist must consider the requirements of government, the corporate owner and their own moral compass before committing pen to paper. Corporate ownership of media is now concentrated such that the vast reader coverage becomes captured by only a few sources that are protected by a paywall. This is where independent journalism faces a huge but potentially rewarding challenge – to provide a diversity of information in a diverse, (but honest), style to a broad user network whilst allowing user feedback. In its own, perhaps small, way AIMN is achieving this.
Mediocrates
You’re so right. Independent journalism is now facing an even huger challenge. I don’t think AIM is so small – but it has a special challenge – in taking a risk – welcoming diversity, welcoming writers,from those with impressive qualifications (e.g. Lucy Hamilton), to nobodies like myself. People who are not paid employees are a bit suspect. What are their motives? What is their agenda? That is a challenging consideration for the editors. Fortunately , you can usually see their agenda, because it’s usually a case of exposing injustices. And that’s getting more and more important, as the paid journalists fear for their jobs, if they buck the system. A system which in the USA especially is becoming more and more under the control of the technosquillionaires, whose agenda is more suspect than anybody’s