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Where Did All the Good Journalism Go?

By Rory O'Connor, AlterNet. Posted December 21, 2007.


When seeking the best news of 2007, maybe we should look to ourselves, rather than the mainstream media sources writing the news to begin with.
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It's good news, bad news, old news time again, that time of the year when such hoary and perennial journalistic traditions as year-end retrospectives, 'Best of,' 'Worst of,' and 'Top Ten' lists and 'Person of the Year' selections all proliferate.

Unfortunately, with all the bad news, phony news, faux news and Fox News out there, it's all too easy to create a Top Ten Worst Journalism list-maybe even a Top Thousand! But in the spirit of the season, let's try to be a bit more positive, shall we? In this age of media scams and scandals, of paid opinion and information warfare, of partisan power plays and the corrupt nexus of Big Media and Big Politics, how and where can we find quality news and information we can trust?

Enter NewsTrust.net, a new, not-for-profit social news network dedicated to helping citizens find and share quality news and information online. Guess what? It turns out that there's lots of good journalism being practiced out there -- in the much-maligned mainstream media, in the independent sector, on the air, in print and even (dare I say it?) right here in the blogosphere. It's just that sometimes -- particularly when facing the daily media tsunami-good news can seem awfully hard to find.

For the past two years, I've been volunteering as NewsTrust's Editorial Director. This fledgling social news site offers citizens an integrated online service, which includes a quality news filter, media literacy tools and -- most importantly -- a trust network. One major feature is its daily feed of quality news and opinions drawn from hundreds of sources, submitted and then rated by community reviewers. NewsTrust members are encouraged to check their personal opinions at the door and instead judge the news based on quality, and not simply popularity. (One observer dubbed NewsTrust "Digg for Grownups.") The NewsTrust web review tools enable its members to evaluate fairness, evidence, sourcing and other core journalistic principles. The service also rates its own reviewers and validates their expertise, to ensure the reliability of its quality ratings. Given that questions of trust, quality, accountability and verification are among the most important issues facing journalism today -- and given the further fact that a truly functioning democracy requires an informed citizenry -- finding real answers to these media-and-democracy questions is crucial to helping us all make more informed decisions about our lives and governments -- and thus to our very future as a democratic society.

The NewsTrust experiment is still in beta form and no one -- particularly its visionary founder Fabrice Florin -- claims the approach has been perfected. "I'd say it shows great promise, but we still have a ways to go," says Florin, who is rightly concerned about over-hyping a service that is still in its infancy, "But it could become one of the best systems out there for filtering the news based on quality -- as well as for increasing our own media literacy." The good news is that the "social news network" concept does seem to be working. One indication can be found by examining NewTrust's own 'Best Journalism of 2007' lists, featuring both the 'Top 10 News Stories' and 'Top 10 Opinions' of 2007.

Each assessment, based solely on ratings from NewsTrust members, identifies a wide range of quality journalism produced in the last year by a diverse set of news organizations, ranging from Factcheck.org, the Christian Science Monitor and Salon to National Public Radio, Vanity Fair and Harper's, and from such industry stalwarts as the New York Times, Washington Post and New Yorker magazine to more obscure media makers like TCS Daily, Armed Forces Journal, and Robert Parry's Consortium News.

These examples of excellence cover an equally wide-range of topics, including:



    The use of torture in America's ongoing 'War on Terror;'

    Israel's 'Arab problem;'

    The threat of war with Iran;

    The 'failure in generalship' in Iraq;

    Solutions to the 'Mexican Immigration Problem;'

    'Fascist America,' in 10 easy steps;

And of course, several pieces that examine the failures of the media itself, such as:


    The New York Times' 'sloppy hit piece on Gore;'

    The New York Times' return to pre-Iraq-war 'journalism;'

and

    A Bill Moyers documentary on 'our failed and barren press.'


So even when seeking the 'best news' of 2007, it turns out that the news about the news media itself isn't so good after all ... But at least some of it is, and it's important that we take time to recognize that fact, and work hard to expand it, so that the odds will increase that we all can find better news and information in the coming presidential election year -- clearly a crucial one both for our own country and the world as a whole.

And always remember -- if you don't like the news, go out and rate some of your own, and encourage others to do so as well! After all, who you gonna trust -- the media, or us?
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Filmmaker and journalist Rory O'Connor is now completing AlterNet’s first-ever book, which is on the subject of right-wing radio talkers like O’Reilly, and will be available early in 2008. O'Connor also writes the Media Is A Plural blog.

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"Where Did All the Good Journalism Go?!"
[Report this comment]
Posted by: ~Fiona~ on Dec 22, 2007 2:45 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In case you haven't noticed, it has been sold to the highest bidders!

First it was the televised media and now its Every form of media!

"Why?" you may ask...
TO CONTROL THE MESSAGE AND THEREBY CONTROL THE MINDLESS POPULOUS!

"Brainwashing 101", pure and simple... Welcome to "1984"!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

thedirtydemocrat
[Report this comment]
Posted by: JimActivist on Dec 22, 2007 5:33 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In a post elsewhere I said, and I believe, the news is so owned that it has be castrated from the truth in corporate media.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Same in France
[Report this comment]
Posted by: chomsky on Dec 22, 2007 5:36 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
France's president is the best buddy of all the big media owners...
And in return, he is invited on their private yatch/jet/villa...
Welcome to the soon to be facist new world order.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

otto
[Report this comment]
Posted by: otto on Dec 22, 2007 6:01 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I wish there was a good effective way to boycott all the media - written, radio and TV -that lets corporate power determine most of its decisions...like the grape boycott of Cesar Chavez years ago. Unfortunately, you have to get the idea across through the corporate media, which most Americans watch and let influence their views. The move to avoid Fox programming is a good start, I guess.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The Box
[Report this comment]
Posted by: siamdave on Dec 22, 2007 6:18 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The media is important, but the rabbit hole is much, much deeper - They're Building a Box - and You're In It - http://www.rudemacedon.ca/dlp/box/box-intro.html
- and for ongoing comment on how the media in Canada is not much better - try On Green Island at
http://www.rudemacedon.ca/lgi/ogi-home.html

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

better news and information
[Report this comment]
Posted by: wawa on Dec 22, 2007 6:54 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
FREEDOM OF SPEECH TRIAL in ME 'Democracy'



This civilian journalist has been following Mordechai Vanunu's historic freedom of speech trial in Jerusalem, which began Jan. 2006 and concluded July 2007 with a 6 month jail sentence.

After his release from 18 years in jail-most of it in solitary-the whistle blower of Israel's WMD Program was 'freed' under severe restrictions, including the right to speak to any foreigners.

Although allowed to speak to Israeli media he was not allowed to speak to Amy Goodman, but he did in 2004 and that interview was major testimony against him.

This civilian journalist is streaming 2005 and 2006 interviews with Vanunu on WAWA and were done in the spirit of Article 19, of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights which Israel's statehood was contingent upon upholding.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."


Vanunu's appeal begins Jan. 8, 2008.


PS: Israel knows all about those videos.

After my 5th trip to Israel in July 2007, I told airport security everywhere I had been in OPT, gave them my WAWA card and told them to read all about it.

The morning I left Jerusalem, Israel was in 12th place out 70+ countries that visit WAWA on a daily basis.

When I returned home to USA, Israel was in 3rd place and remained there the next 6 weeks.

Currently they are in 8th and USA Government in 9th.

"30 Minutes with Vanunu" and his messages to Hillary Clinton on The Wall, Bush and USA Christians are freely streaming on WAWA:

http://www.wearewideawake.org/

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Boycott Media Week
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Gravitas on Dec 22, 2007 7:26 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Someone had a good point above about boycotting the media. Maybe someone should organize a boycott media week. I think liberals are becoming too elite, always calling the public sheeple. Actually, I am guilty myself, it is my favorite phrase and I say it to their faces. But the failing economy is a perfect opportunity to get the point across. Many people do not believe the media anymore, especially younger people. I think they just need leadership and direction. We should act while we still have the internet as a tool, before they take that away too!

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If you want real journalism...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: naturelover on Dec 22, 2007 7:27 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think www.therealnews.com, and www.globalresearch.ca are pretty good at investigating and reporting news.

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What's the standard of quality for "good news coverage?"
[Report this comment]
Posted by: thoughtcriminal on Dec 22, 2007 10:11 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There are actually some good established basic news services - the wires. See AP wire, UPI wire, and Reuters.

For example, Reuters reports today in "FBI aims for world's largest biometrics database".

"In January, the agency -- which focuses on violations of federal law, espionage by foreigners and terrorist activities -- expects to award a 10-year contract to expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives, it said."

What that means is that the FBI will now be creating files on U.S. citizens who have committed no crimes - for example, they will now be retaining fingerprints from background checks in their files. They are spending $1 billion on this project alone!

That's just news - a brief report on what the FBI is up to. For an interesting European perspective on that story, see:
Why the US can't be trusted with our personal data

"By stealth, the US is building vast databanks of personal information on citizens and non-citizens, criminals and the entirely innocent. When investigating a murder recently, the FBI had 1.5 million relevant DNA samples to search. How did they get so many samples? Get arrested or even detained – legitimately or not – and your fingerprints go into the system, maybe your DNA. Join the military or certain agencies, same thing.

These records will be combined with those of millions of visitors, immigrants and citizens; tens of millions of files on people who have committed no crimes and pose no threat whatsoever.

Just like the Stasi used to do.

If this isn't state surveillance, what is?

The point here is that it's important to keep the raw news separate from the opinonating and analysis. Analysis, which means including a historical perspective, is almost unheard of in the U.S. corporate press. Opinion and spin is everywhere in the U.S. press - the real editorial page in most U.S. newspapers is the front page.

The problem with the U.S. press is that it functions as a propaganda organ for conglomerated corporate interests and the government officials and politicians who are also aligned with those same interests. This is seen with pharmaceuticals, with oil and coal and nuclear, with the refusal to spend much time investigating corporate contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so on. If large amounts of corporate cash or criminal behavior on the part of government officials are involved, the story gets buried - unless the press wants to "hit" the story.

The best example of that is the press encouragement of the Clinton impeachment process in the late 90s, versus the press refusing to discuss impeachment of Bush and Cheney today.

So, the news wire services do a good job of presenting the basic news - but to understand what those news reports mean, you need honest analysis - and that's what is really lacking from the U.S. press, and why it is, by and large, looking more and more like some kind of propaganda / public opinion manipulation system controlled by a handful of entrenched corporate interests.

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» Taking issue with UPI... Posted by: eddie torres
» RE: Taking issue with UPI... Posted by: thoughtcriminal
The class war agenda of capitalist mass media excludes "Good Journalism"
[Report this comment]
Posted by: jcrw on Dec 22, 2007 11:16 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The class war agenda of capitalist mass media excludes "Good Journalism".

The vast majority of people of the world, including the United States, are now facing deepening crises of survival. For the millionaires and billionaires of the world who often exacerbate if not cause these crises, they offer "opportunities" to maximize their wealth and power at the expense of the public.

One quote:
"Globally, there are seventy thousand people who possess more than $30 million in financial assets - enough to fill a large sports stadium. Half of the world's 587 billionaires (enough to fill a large disco) are Americans whose wealth increased collectively by $500 Billion in 2003 alone. They possess the same amount of wealth as the combined gross domestic product of the world's poorest 170 countries combined.(8)"
(8)Jane Chapman, "Forbes Report Billionaires' Wealth Grew by 36 percent in Last Year."March 9, 2004, World Socialist Web Site http://www.wsws.org
Cited in The Meaning of Marxism by Paul D'Amato, Haymarket Books, Chicago.

GLOBAL WARMING CRISIS will not be seriously addressed by the Bush gang because polluters profit may be affected or polluters should be put out of business.

IMMIGRATION CRISIS will not be "solved" as U.S. foreign policy treaties like NAFTA AND CAFTA, subsidized corn dumping into Mexico, overthow and subversion of "socialist" governments, etc. continually destroy the
people of Mexico and Central America.

ECONOMIC CRISES are continually created by corrupt, unregulated, untaxed gangster capitalism. The vast debt caused by the Iraq war, the privatization of the federal government, the decline in dollar value, housing crises, etc.

The class war of the wealthy against working people is an on-going global class war. YOU WILL NOT HEAR ABOUT IT ON NPR, PBS, OR EVEN PROGRESSIVE SOURCES SUCH AS "DEMOCRACY NOW!"

Read the World Socialist Web Site http://www.wsws.org

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A boycott?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: magus65 on Dec 22, 2007 11:53 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You mean somebody out there is still watching/reading their garbage?

Stop it. Not for a week or two but for good. You will be much happier and better informed.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This comment has been removed from the site due to non-compliance with AlterNet's community policies.
'Good' Journalism....???? An Oxymoron???
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gellero on Dec 24, 2007 4:14 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So what exactly is 'good' journalism ??

Journalists always seem to refer to themselves as a 'profession'. But a professional, as commonly accepted, is someone expert in a body of knowledge that has a CODE of ETHICS.

So what is the Journalists' code of ethics??

My my........... it doesn't exit. And that's why 'journalists' don't garner the respect a true professional would.

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Where Did All the Good Journalism Go?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: YogiBear on Dec 25, 2007 8:33 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Into the unemployment line. Newspapers all over the country have slashed their political reporting staffs over the past decade.

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The REAL, UNBIASED NEWS???
[Report this comment]
Posted by: jvaljon1 on Dec 30, 2007 3:24 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
For that, any American has to go to the BBC. It's unbiased real reporting, the way that reporting USED to be done before Rupert Murdoch said "Nay Nay, we need more 'tainment' with our 'info''--and BTW, what do we need information for anyway? Our President tells us all we need to know on how to think about politics either here or abroad" ... Go to the BBC site, click on International, and read what Rupert and the rest of the Bush Administration DON'T want you to know about. Makes me positively nostalgic for old times...but at least, the news is still alive, well, and unbiased, somewhere on Earth...

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