Media must present the message fairly
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
We in the media are guilty of many things. We nudge the slant of the news from time to time and, increasingly, we give credibility to some who don't deserve the recognition. An old college journalism professor of mine once gave the following illustration. He said, by way of example, you contact a politician and ask their opinion on a topic. The politician decides against giving a direct answer. So do you say that politician "refused" to answer or "declined" to answer. One word is much stronger than the other and gives a negative impression.