The responsibility of the media in reporting news.

The Healthcare marathon debate, which has taken place over a year to this point, has pointed out major distortions in the messaging and reporting the 24/7 media cycle has kept us misinformed. First the data reported today on the Ed Show. Here 's what he reported on the results of a new Harris Poll about Republican attitudes about President Obama:

67% Believe That Obama is a Socialist
45% Believe that Obama was "Not born in the United States"
57% Think he is a Muslim
24% say "He may be the AntiChrist"

This is a direct result of the lack of investigative reporting and fact checking by some in the media and specifically promoted through Fox News. The Republican Party is devoid of common sense Republican leaders today, because they have been demonized by the far right wing of the Party and it has moved Moderate Republicans far to the right to appeal to the base and not to be challenged by the Far right Tea Bag group, headed up by former Congressmen Dick Armey and others. There are a number of really smart Republicans who have contributed to these problems by their silence. It's hard to oppose a movement which has become a mob now which you have belonged to for many years. There were Republican statesmen who would have spoken out in their time against racist comments, slurs and fear mongering. Such Republican leaders were Sen. Bob Dole for one, Senator Howard Baker or another, and going a long way back President Ronald Reagan and President Dwight Eisenhower. It's time real Republicans gained back the Republican Party by having the courage to speak out. Where are today's voices of Sen. Richard Lugar, Mitt Romney and the old John McCain who was so proud to put Country First?! The media needs to do a lot more investigative reporting rather than just reporting on any comment, whether true of not, just to fill the 24/7 airwaves.

If this country isn't what we want it to be, no matter what side of this issue you are on, the media is front and center in the area of being responsible to the Constitution and the American people for it being a better or worse country. The Constitution guarantees a Free Press. But WeThePeople must demand that it be there to investigate newsworthy items as to the truth of the facts and then show us the positions of both sides. There have been some TV Cable programs like the The Rachel Maddow Show, which does do investigative reporting and chases down claims to bring the truth to her viewers. But she is rare.

Here's an excerpt from an article on the Newspaper business and their declining numbers of investigative reporters:

"Newspapers care about investigative stories, but they frequently don’t back that up with resources that reporters say they need to do in-depth work...."

and this:
"Most of the journalists responding to the survey said their papers are more supportive of investigative reporting now than even 10 years ago, but many said the support is superficial.

Thirty-seven percent of newspapers had no full-time investigative or projects reporter on their staffs. The majority had two or fewer, and only 10 newspapers had four or more investigative or projects reporters working for them.

In addition, 61 percent of the newspapers had no investigative or projects team. Of those, 16 percent had teams in the past, but they have been disbanded. Sixty-two percent of the newspapers surveyed did not have a single editor specifically charged with working on investigations."

I am tired of the "Marketing" and "Spin" of news. In the past 25 years Newspapers have had to lay off Investigative reporters as the age of TV and then 24/7 news has changed much. We must become more active with our voices and end this trend. You with me?

Inciting news or reporting news? A Free Press demands responsible reporting.

As I was watching a news clip from CNN this morning, fresh from Pakistan, I was listening to the announcer and watching the video footage of the "protesters clashing in the streets with police forces who were using tear gas in the Capitol." What I saw in the footage was a crowd of about 50 people. One individual was taunting police who stood behind a barbed wire barrier. The interesting visual here was that there were about 2/3rds of the people had cameras held high in the air to apparently capture the pictures of the taunting. I presume these were journalists for the most part. This begs the question, do the journalists incite the story or report on it. It looked to me that they were inciting the story as they significantly outnumbered protesters. You had to empathize with the police behind the barracade being photographed while being taunted. Ever wonder why violence breaks out in these situations?

Responsible reporting requires less drama seeking and more conscientiousness, as to ensure that reporting is actually done, not inciting the story. With the Freedom of the Press comes responsibility in accord with that privaledge.