Posted by manualblock [ 24.45.24.101 ] on August 20, 2006 at 14:52:02:

In Reply to: I get that you don't want to hear more from me but posted by wunhuanglo on August 20, 2006 at 11:35:25:

Yes; I know the whole history of print journalism. How the various political parties and business interests appropriated the editorial line as well as manufactured much of the news. Read about the wild west; was there ever any truth to that era printed?
But I think that as the century progressed and the means of communication improved; stories were able to be verified and cross-checked. The concept of a company newspaper that printed only what would benefit them faded as people were able to verify facts and events.
I guess the golden age of journalism began in the fifties with the big names Like Edward R. Murrows who defied the Senate to print stories that put an end to the M'Carthy trials.
The news organisations had to bend over backwards to appear to be unbiased in response to so many years of favoritism; so we had a distinct wariness of big business and politics.
Considering the pressure from Religous and business and political entities the fact that the newspapers were able to get any news out there at all is a miracle.
Even now here on Long Island we have a major struggle between the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese and our Local newspaper about whether to print articles that might show illegal aliens in a bad light. Think it's a tempest in a teapot? We lost a good representative as a result of the pressure from the Religous vote to prevent any talk of apprehending illegals and deporting them.
The paper stuck to it's guns disregarding a large loss of revenue from the parishoners complaining to advertisers at the request of the Bishop.
That is journalism of the best calibre. Thats why I still trust the papers over most of the other available media.
How is the reporting your way? On TV I see a lot of criticism of the local politicians from your area but a lot of defending of the federal government. Not in our newspapers.

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