tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5668712602334003954.post7311444395277716824..comments2024-01-12T15:32:22.236-08:00Comments on The Episconixonian: Keep Your CPU Out Of My DNAFr. Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09974142521713230215noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5668712602334003954.post-25550363529271101592009-11-01T13:31:19.386-08:002009-11-01T13:31:19.386-08:00Well said as always, Thomas. Thanks.Well said as always, Thomas. Thanks.Fr. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09974142521713230215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5668712602334003954.post-69674675574255767192009-11-01T00:22:00.794-07:002009-11-01T00:22:00.794-07:00perhaps it isn't the medium, as much as the in...perhaps it isn't the medium, as much as the inability of the better journalists to figure out how to make money in a different economic regime.<br /><br />The Nation ran a piece a few months ago about how good science journalism was dying. they made many excellent points. one point they failed to notice was that The Nation is extremely bad at science reporting. by the metrics with which they measured newspapers, they fail even more badly on that score.<br /><br />i'm tired of hearing from newspaper companies about how different economic models out-compete them. i'd rather hear from them about how they are figuring out how to fund excellent reporting, rather than relying on a 19th century model.<br /><br />on the other hand, i generally regard journalists as anything but the heroes they make themselves out to be. they're not villains either, but they are--in my experience--utterly incompetent as soon as they get outside the main political topics they know best. (and even there, they are so scared of being called biased that they retreat to calling horse races instead of digging up facts and identifying dishonest politicians as liars.)<br /><br />if a robust media is important--and i agree it is--then it's going to take more than whining on the part of the media. most journalists are hardly woodward and bernstein. heck, W&B weren't even as good as their reputation.<br /><br />let's start with my usual rule. let's apply to journalists the same rules they wish to apply to everyone else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5668712602334003954.post-53038665572063860322009-10-31T16:29:06.956-07:002009-10-31T16:29:06.956-07:00Thanks, MK. The ink my my veins, I guess. My paren...Thanks, MK. The ink my my veins, I guess. My parents and beloved godfather were newspaper people, and I fell in love with journalism before my time with RN. His appreciation of good journalism deepened mine. The decline of print, I'm sure, would've alarmed him.Fr. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09974142521713230215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5668712602334003954.post-38374835519504722982009-10-31T11:44:05.707-07:002009-10-31T11:44:05.707-07:00The article actually was a commentary in the Washi...The article actually was a commentary in the Washington Post's March 1, 2009 Outlook section. See David Simon's "In Baltimore, No one Left to Press the Police" at<br /><br />http://shrinkster.com/1b8p <br /><br />An excellent account of the impact of the decline of journalistic oversight by a former reporter on the police beat.MKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5668712602334003954.post-36872646143983831912009-10-31T11:35:00.271-07:002009-10-31T11:35:00.271-07:00Outstanding post! I couldn't have said it bet...Outstanding post! I couldn't have said it better. What really is odd is how few of the stories about the newspaper crisis have addressed this. Some have, however. A few months ago I read a story about the near disappearance of local police reporting in Baltimore. All sorts of problems can arise when a police department realizes that diligent reporters who have been on the beat long enough to become experts no longer are hanging around, asking tough questions about what happened and why, demanding to see records under public access laws. Diminishing of journalistic oversight in some areas really does come at a high price. If I find the link, I'll post it!<br /><br />Enjoy your Saturday!MKnoreply@blogger.com