My three rules for the New American Media

[SeveneightyWhoa]

These should be fairly obvious to anyone with a brain, but not so to anyone working in the media.

1) Drop 'balance' as a guiding principle, because the truth is not balanced,
2) Regard 'truth' as a new guiding principle - if something is true, say it, if it isn't, don't be scared to call it a lie,
3) Ignore right-wing-Bushbot cries of 'bias' whenever the truth about a Republican lie or liar is reported.

(snipped from a post at my blog: http://www.counterbias.com/blog/2004/08/three-rules-for-damaged-american-media.html )

[Downtown Hound]

1. Interesting

I like the emphasis on truth rather than balance. As someone with a journalism degree, I always had a problem with the emphasis on balance, because as you said, truth is not balanced.

[cprise]

2. Facts should be reported. Preferably with context.

That's the closest to the 'truth' you can get.

I have the same qualms about 'balance'. Decades ago, I got tired of genocidal maniacs getting 'balance' airtime whenever gays or socialists did.

The most important rule we could make about newscasting is that it should not be mainly a for-profit market. News should be broadcast as an independant public service.