Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/17

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Subject: [Leica] Re: The Economist (WAS: Kerry Who)
From: max_weisenfeld at verizon.net (Max Weisenfeld)
Date: Fri Sep 17 07:42:06 2004
References: <000001c49c4c$ae68fc60$6401a8c0@dorysrusp4> <414A6E1F.2040406@planet.nl>

Nathan,

Nathan wrote:
>Actually, I do not find the Economist unbiased. I love the magazine--its 
>writing style, its thoroughness, the total absence of lifestyle and 
>celebrity articles--but it does have a political orientation towards the 
>right.

I agree.  But for an US American, what is refreshing about the Economist's 
politics is their open acknowledgement of their positions.  They clearly 
state their opinions, and do not pretend otherwise.  They also effectively 
report both sides of an issue, and in another novelty to readers in the USA, 
they effectively cover the rest of the world.

As for their politics, they are not so much pure "right" as the old, 
pre-sixties version of Liberal.  That is, very pro-capitalism in economics, 
unfettered trade, governmental fiscal responsibility before social 
responsibility.  This is married to a social openness, focusing on personal 
accountability and an almost libertarian regard for personal right to behave 
as one sees fit.  Now, if that were what W had meant by "Compassionate 
Conservatism," maybe I could ... OOPS, THERE I GO AGAIN!  ;-)

Max

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nathan Wajsman" <nathan.wajsman@planet.nl>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 12:54 AM
Subject: [Leica] Re: The Economist (WAS: Kerry Who)


> Don,
>
> Actually, I do not find the Economist unbiased. I love the magazine--its 
> writing style, its thoroughness, the total absence of lifestyle and 
> celebrity articles--but it does have a political orientation towards the 
> right. They endorsed Bush back in 2000 and I am almost certain they will 
> do so again this year. I shall continue to subscribe despite that.
>
> Nothing is really unbiased. Every editor has an agenda. The bias expresses 
> itself in overt ways (such as endorsing a candidate) or more often covert 
> (e.g. in selection of stories to cover, pictures to publish etc.). I 
> prefer the political orientation of the media to be out in the open. From 
> my youth in Denmark I am quite used to newspapers being associated with 
> political parties--the Social Democrats had their rag, Aktuelt, the 
> Conservatives had Berlingske Tidende, the middle-of-the-road Radicals 
> (akin to the Liberals in the UK) had Politiken, the Communists Land og 
> Folk, and so on. These affiliations are a bit more blurred these days, 
> although the orientations, broadly defined, persist (except that the 
> Social Democrats, despite being the largest party in the land, seem unable 
> to run a newspaper, consequently their rag tends to go bankrupt and cease 
> publication every few years).
>
> The medium that comes closest to being really unbiased is in my opinion 
> the BBC--a UK national treasure.
>
> Nathan
>
> Don Dory wrote:
>
>> Jeffery,
>> If you want pretty non-biased reported then go the "The Economist".
>> They have an online edition that is pretty thorough.  I don't think any
>> U.S. based rags are unbiased.  On the bright side if you read both sides
>> and consider what each is removing from the table then you can
>> frequently guess the truth. :)
>>
>> Glad the storm did not come your way.
>>
>> Don
>> dorysrus@mindspring.com
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org
>> [mailto:lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf
>> Of Jeffery Smith
>> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 3:46 PM
>> To: 'Leica Users Group'
>> Subject: RE: [Leica] Kerry Who
>>
>> O'Reilly sparks journalistic intensity, but I wouldn't mind seeing his
>> ass run out of town. I really, really value honesty and integrity in
>> journalism over panache. I move from Time to Newsweek to US News & World
>> Report searching for journalism without an axe to grind. Boring? Maybe.
>> But there's something to be said for non-biased reporting.
>>
>> Jeffery Smith
>> New Orleans, LA
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org
>> [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
>> MCyclWritr@aol.com
>> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 2:49 PM
>> To: lug@leica-users.org
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Kerry Who
>>
>> Why should we care? WHY should we care? B.D., we HAVE TO care. After all, 
>> M.B. Howard was the prototypical new age journalist. Not just
>>
>> another tattered, pants-pissing newspaper reporter warming a barstool in
>> the Denver Press Club, but a cutting edge (that'd be the edge of a
>> single-edge razor blade, of course) coke dust Hoover who sparked 
>> journalistic intensity
>> via jangled nerves and $1,000-a-day habit, rather than a foggy, 
>> old-school
>> rage fueled by a three-boilermaker lunch.
>>
>> And to think we ran his sorry ass out of town. How shortsighted could we
>> have been?  : )
>>
>> Mr. Reverence, Chris Lawson      B.D. writes:
>>
>> And we care about the former editor of the Rocky Mountain News, why? ;-)
>>
>>
>>>>Chris Lawson takes a wild guess:
>>
>>
>> Let me guess. Would that be Michael Balf Howard, former Rocky Mountain
>> News (Denver) editor-in-chief and cocaine addict who slithered out of
>> town in shame? No, I didn't think so.
>>
>> -Chris Lawson<<
>>
>>>>>nbeddoe@lehman.com writes:
>>
>>
>> How many Americans can tell me who Michael Howard is?
>>
>> Neil<<<
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
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>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
> -- 
> Nathan Wajsman
> Almere, The Netherlands
>
> General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com
> Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information 


Replies: Reply from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] Re: The Economist (WAS: Kerry Who))
In reply to: Message from dorysrus at mindspring.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Kerry Who)
Message from nathan.wajsman at planet.nl (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] Re: The Economist (WAS: Kerry Who))