Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Failure of Journalism

These Charges Are False ...

One of the great failings of "objective reporting" is that when someone lies in a newsworthy way, you have to report what they say. There's very little way to make it apparent to readers that the person in question is lying through his teeth without losing objectivity. Such is the case with Swift Boat Veterans for Truth; they're all saying things that are patently untrue, yet the media is obliged to report what they say because it is, in every sense of the word, news.

Applause to the LA Times for saying in print that this news is also a boatload of crap. Here's hoping John Kerry's attempt today to move on from this bunch of nonsense to the real issues of the campaign will work. As Kerry put it:
"The Bush campaign and its allies have turned to the tactics of fear and smear because they can’t talk about jobs, health care, energy independence, and rebuilding our alliances – the real issues that matter to the American people. They have no plans, no positive vision and no understanding of an urgent and undeniable truth--a stronger America begins at home."

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