Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Standard journalistic practices?
Neal Boortz is one of my everyday reads. I often do not agree with him, and I rarely agree with everything in his blog. But this bears repeating. Here's Neal Boortz' take on the journalistic standards at Newsweek:
Might I submit to you that the Newsweek journalistic "standards" bear close resemblance to the following:
1. The Bush Administration didn't rely on faulty intelligence in its move to depose Saddam Hussein; instead, Bush "lied."
2. Any story from an anonymous source critical of a Republican president, no matter how thinly based or weakly corroborated, must be initially believed as true and may be reported as such if deadlines are close.
3. Any story from an anonymous source critical of a Democratic president must be initially believed as untrue and should only be published out of a fear that some other news organization is going to publish it before you do.
4. Torture of Muslims is a widespread and accepted part of the U.S. military culture.
5. Virtually all of the detainees being held in Guantanamo are innocent and should be immediately released, perhaps with reparations payments for their incarceration.
6. Every action involving the U.S. military under other than a Democratic commander in chief will, within no less than 21 days, become a "quagmire."
7. There is no legitimate reason for the application of U.S. military force overseas under a Republican president until after the nuclear tipped missiles are actually launched.
8. There is no reason not to apply U.S. military force overseas under a Democratic president.
9. Anti-war activists are prone to tell the truth. Military officials are prone to lie.
10. Reporters never lie, unless they work for The Washington Times or the Fox News Channel.
11. America is great because of its government, so long as that government is controlled by Democrats.
12. If the United States government is controlled by Republicans, America is not great.
13. Freedom has nothing to do with America's greatness, no matter who is in control of our government.
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