Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/22

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Journalistic Ethics
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 21:38:23 +0000
References: <3C24D389.8060009@earthlink.net>

At 12:40 PM 12/22/01 -0700, Tim Atherton wrote:
>Witness their many recent attempts to rip-off and grab rights (all for
>bucks) from writers and photographers. There isn't much integrity in any of
>their efforts there, journalistic or otherwise. (Likewise the Boston Globe
>and numerous others). It's all now about the bottom line.

Tim

Heavens!  As it was in the beginning it shall ever be -- the situation
today is no different than it has ever been in terms of morality.  Hearst
and Pulitzer vied with each other to start the Spanish-American War, the
Chicago TRIBUNE fought tooth-and-claw against Franklin Roosevelt, and the
NEW YORK TIMES was at the spear-head of the desegregation movement.
Corporate bosses determine what positions sell the most newspapers without
offending a majority of the advertisers, and that is the media outlet's
path.  

"Journalistic Ethics" has ALWAYS consisted, at its soul, of selling
yourself as little as you can -- but some have sold themselves more and
again and others have managed to keep most of themselves free of corporate
policies.  But it has ALWAYS been about that "bottom line".

Take the long view -- the tough survive, those who cannot tolerate the
demands go elsewhere.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

In reply to: Message from "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] Who'd be a PJ in these troubled times?)