Media Corrections We’d Like to See
Former readers of Mad Magazine can remember a regular feature called “Scenes We’d Like to See.” It showed what might happen if candor replaced customary euphemisms and evasions. These days, what media scenes would we like to see?
One aspect of news media that needs a different paradigm is the correction ritual. Newspapers are sometimes willing to acknowledge faulty reporting, but the “correction box” is routinely inadequate — the journalistic equivalent of self-flagellation for jaywalking in the course of serving as an accessory to deadly crimes.
Some daily papers are scrupulous about correcting the smallest factual errors that have made it into print. So, we learn that a first name was misspelled or a date was wrong or a person was misidentified in a photo caption. However, we rarely encounter a correction that addresses a fundamental flaw in what passes for ongoing journalism.
Here are some of the basic corrections that we’d really like to see:
- “Yesterday’s paper included a business section but failed to also include a labor section. Yet the vast majority of Americans work without investing for a living. They are employees rather than entrepreneurs. The failure to recognize such realities when using newsroom resources is not journalistically defensible. The Daily Bugle regrets the error.”
- “On Thursday, in a lengthy story about the economy, this newspaper quoted three corporate executives, two Wall Street business analysts and someone from a corporate-funded think tank. But the article did not quote a single low-income person or a single advocate for those mired in poverty. The Daily Bugle regrets the error.”
- “On Sunday, in a front-page article about the mayor’s proposals for a sweeping new urban-renewal program, The Daily Bugle devoted 27 paragraphs to the potential impacts on real estate interests, store owners and investors. Yet the story devoted scant attention to the foreseeable effects of the project on poor people, many of whom have been living in the affected neighborhoods for generations.”
- “Last week, The Daily Bugle reported on the history of human rights violations in Latin America without noting the pivotal roles played by the U.S. government in supporting despotic regimes during the 20th century. Such selective reporting had the effect of airbrushing significant aspects of the historical record.”
- “Yesterday, when The Daily Bugle printed a correction about an obituary, it supplied the proper spelling of the first name of the deceased’s daughter. However, the correction failed to correct the obituary’s evasive summary of his lethal Machiavellian activities as a top official of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Daily Bugle regrets the error.”
- “For nearly five years, The Daily Bugle has frequently printed the headline ‘Deaths in Iraq’ over the latest listing of confirmed American deaths in Iraq. This headline has been insidiously misleading because it propagates the attitude that the only ‘deaths in Iraq’ worth reporting by name are the deaths of Americans. Such tacit jingoism and nationalistic narcissism have no place in quality news reporting. The Daily Bugle regrets its participation in this repetition compulsion disorder of American journalism.”
- “The Daily Bugle’s reporting has often referred to Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) as ‘a respected senator on foreign affairs.’ In fact, while some observers greatly respect Senator Lugar, others view him as a chronic hand-wringer whose pathetic deference to presidential militarism has aided and abetted the latest war crimes ordered from the Oval Office.”
- “For more than five years, readers of this newspaper have encountered — without attribution — frequent references to ‘the war on terrorism’ and ‘the war on terror.’ While avidly used by architects and supporters of the U.S. government’s military actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, such phrases are based on assumptions that could be substantively and effectively refuted. The Daily Bugle regrets that its news pages have relentlessly promoted such official buzzwords as though they were objective realities instead of terms devised to manipulate the public for endless war.”
The new documentary film “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death” is based on Norman Solomon’s book of the same title. Grassroots groups have begun to show the DVD around the country.
For information about the full-length movie, produced by the Media Education Foundation and narrated by Sean Penn, go here. http://www.theconnextion.com
When this happens, democracy will be restored. Don’t hold your breath.
SOLOMON reflects the wisdom of Solomon in the insights he publishes. I have ultimate respect for this thoughtful, wise and just individual.
The viewpoint expressed by Solomon’s article is absolutely correct, & is a very big deal indeed. One should always have this kind of perspective in reading the MSM. One should in fact interpret the MSM with hostility and deep suspicion. It’s really the voice of the ruling class, dishonestly posing as the “objective neutral observer.”
We wouldn’t be careening towards corpo-militarist despotism & de facto presidential dictatorship, if gullible Americans hadn’t been duped into swallowing the assumptions that underlie the MSM’s daily garbage. It’s nothing less than brainwashing, & always has been.
Like the bumper sticker says, “The media in America are only as liberal as the conservative corporations that own them allow.”
BEAUTIFUL!!!
To those who haven’t read his book I suggest that you do.
It is terrific from cover to cover.
all the best
Thank goodness for the Internet.
Excellent
My public school education (Class of ‘75) failed to teach me any critical thinking skills, discernment, judgment of people’s motives, cynicism-even the healthy type. I have had to play ‘catch-up ball’ for over 30 years.
So when does the revolution begin that will bring about Solomon’s media corrections?
We keep hearing (from the mainstream media) that Google and others are stealing the newspapers’ content, and Craig’s List and others are stealing their advertising, thereby driving them out of business.
Those issues are one part of the story. More people would buy newspapers if the papers were less right wing and more centrist. The working class readership would be growing if workers did not have to work harder and longer each year just to maintain some semblance of a middle class existence. Who has time to read the paper anymore?
If some percentage of American newspaper readers and television viewers canceled their subscriptions and turned their Televisions off, you would see an immediate change in coverage.
Although the corporate media wants to pursue a political agenda, as capitalists, they are much more concerned with current revenue, profit and staying in business than they are ideology. It is hard to manipulate public opinion when you have lost your platform and much of your bank account.
I know this has been discussed ad nauseum, but I’d like to have tv & newspapers also exclude any mention of Paris Hilton & her ilk unless there is a high crime involved.
I could hardly believe all the time Keith Olberman devoted to Lindsey Lohan on his “news” program tonight, & he’s one of the bright lights of the business.
The working class needs their own independent newspaper and political party.
You can’t reform the economic system, the MSM, or the political partys.
The nobels could not reform feudlism as all economic and political systems evolve.
Maybe all this “democracy” has made me too cynical, but I doubt the American public would take to media with less fluff than the media they currently have — because they have so many problems and no way out, the Paris/Lindsey media is the only escape they have and is sorely needed. I don’t think the vast majority wants the hard truth anymore, and I think their attention spans have been permanently shortened. If what is going on now hasn’t awoken them from their comatose states, I doubt anything will.
Be sure to see Norman’s film War Made Easy-it really sheds some light on the mess we’re in. I highly recommend it -share it with your family and friends-no matter their political persuasion. Thank-you Norman!
I have to say that I did have a teacher who taught me something, Mr. Wittlan from 9th grade. He always said, “When I say jump, don’t ask why. Just ask how high.”
But in fact he was egging us on to challenge him by not accepting that blindly.
so it goes
www.NotOneMore.US
Biggest media correction needed right now:
“Nearly half of all foreign militants targeting U.S. troops IN IRAQ have come from Saudi Arabia — 15% are from Syria and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa.” - http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/57391/
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-saudi15jul15,0,3132262.story?coll=la-home-center
Why isn’t this on the front page? Oh maybe because it would completely destroy Bush’s Iran scapegoat for Iraq’s problems, while simultaneously discrediting everything Bush AND Congress have been saying about Iran lately.
I was lucky that my 12th grade survey teacher taught us a different perspective to how the world sees us as opposed to the “we’re #1″ mantra we’re supposed to recite.
He taught us that we were the only country in the world to ever use nuclear weapons, and on a majority civilian target no less. He also let us know that we perpetrated probably the most decimating genocide in history with the natives.
If schools taught youth about the Salem witch trials, slavery, the Gulf of Tonkin, the Mexican land grab of Texas and California, Robber Barons, Involuntary sterilization of native Americans and other physically defected…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_sterilization
… and Eisenhower’s warning of the industrial military complex, maybe a greater percentage of our society would view the media more like the Soviets viewed Pravda, as mostly B.S. propaganda, and the same crew that’s been behind the scenes and pulling the same crap for more than 40 years would be viewed as the enemy of the state that they really are by a far greater percentage of people than do now.
Perhaps we wouldn’t fall into the perception of the country that can do no wrong and have a more vigilant society for future menaces in government and media.
“Yesterday’s paper included various accurately reported articles and information, supported with objective and cogently written opinion pieces, composed by respected, qualified and experienced career journalists.
We would like to take the opportunity to unreservedly apologise for this interuption of normal service and would like to assure readers that in future, all efforts will be taken to ensure hyperbolic, unfounded and subjective creative writing continue unabated. Thank you for your cooperation.”
UMlaut: there would still be the problem of mass hynposis as the likes of Rupert Murdoch intone the all powerful mantras of mulah.
Hey Norman, you forgot one. How about seeing this headline in tomorrow’s NY Times?
“9/11 was an inside job” - we regret our earlier reports that attributed the attack to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
clearthinker wrote
Maybe all this “democracy” has made me too cynical, but I doubt the American public would take to media with less fluff than the media they currently have…
That is not cynical, it is simply accurate. If I recall correctly, that is the opinion of Robert M. Entman, the author of “Democracy Without Citizens: Media And The Decay Of American Politics”. He is a professor of media and politics at George Washington University.
I highly recommend this book. It is one of those scholarly books that is well documented and researched. Entman has strong credentials and his opinions are worth reading.
He didn’t address the issue of Americans having permanently shortened attention spans, although I would guess some researcher could probably make a case for that as well.
News is not reported exactly the way it should be. WHY? Corporations own the media outlets and that makes the bottom line in $$$$. The media is as screwed up as most businesses.When the dollar is more important than what the REAL news is, then you have our situation now. The people who own the outlets push their own agendas, NOT necessarily the an unbiased truth. Unfortunately, the anchors on television get paid the most; the producers, who research, write, and time the tv news programs get paid less than half what the anchors do; how hard is it to read from a teleprompter? Not Very! We have completely gone off the deep end about requirements and pay that jobs command. Fox Noise is a PRIME example/they broadcast the way Rupert Murdoch wants them to do. I can see him as a puppeteer laughing his head off, because we are jumping to do his bidding.
Until the viewers take a stand and accept good news, not sound bites, we will continue to have crap for news. Is it more important to have it right or have less than honest junk for news.
If we saw all the dead bodies, the maimed bodies, and the mental anguish suffered from this Bu$h war we might react a little faster than we do now. During Vietnam we saw the caskets, saw the war, and watched every night on the news all the atrocities that happened there, protests came wildly. It was also the Watergate hearings.
That is not the case now. This WH knows not one person will stand up to them, so we now have a Bu$h tyranny. We will keep it until corporations are stopped in their quest for more and more money, regardless of the cost. Why would W know? He doesn’t because he was hot on Deadeye Dick’s tail trying to stay out of the “police action”–Neither one of them are capable of honesty about any political issue. I have never seen such lying, thieving, dishonest, and totally devious action by any other administration ever.
The BEST bumper sticker I have says”Support the troops. END the war”.
I really don’t understand how the voters are totally out of touch with reality;news is not really important as long as $$$ drives it. Good newspeople are not what media really want. They want CHEAP stories and what we get for news is CHEAP, because the real news costs money to get the reliable stories. It is a bit like education–problems are not solved by hiring less than stellar people. The time is here for those with experience, but unless they upgrade their education, they will be thrown out with the garbage. The number one Journalism school have educated many with the Masters degree and they cannot find a job. Because as long as the management have less than pitiful experience and some don’t even have a 4 year college degree, news will be out there for those who are educated and experienced; unfortunately media wants the ones who are lacking in both so they don’t have to pay them as much.
That being said, we get weak news that the FCC rubberstamps and the media spews at the viewers. “If it bleeds, it leads.” Sad that we are being spewed news written at approximately 7th grade level. Think about this one–about twenty years ago the average IQ was around 90. I really don’t see writing and grammar better than it was twenty years ago. Just imagine this group of drug addicts and out of control generations ruling our country. Scary thought considering our democracy will have W as a role model. YIKES!
Understand, those who write the news are the ones who will not have the combination; hopefully the media managers will finally see this, and news will change. Similar to W’s use of the word,nu-cu-lear. If the Lemming in Chief can’t learn to pronounce words correctly, we are looking at a cracked future–lack of knowledge and/or experience will take us out of the picture as world leaders.