Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

kbd77 t1_j7w6jla wrote

Reply to comment by Kelruss in Providence shootings dropped by nearly half in 2022 by PM_ME_ASS_SALAD

> Journalists are not very skeptical of these stories, and just report what is said in the report, the press release, or what some of their interviews say.

I'm on board with pretty much everything you said, but then there's this. If this is the case (and it probably is), they're bad at their jobs. Period. I was a journalism student in college (didn't pursue it for a career) and every single one of my professors described this type of approach as lazy, arrogant, irresponsible, and sloppy.

Your purpose, as a journalist, is to find the truth behind a given story and then report the facts in a manner that resonates with the audience. It's not to parrot talking points you're fed by political strategists or the fucking cops. And that's what local news outlets are at this point – mouthpieces for authority figures with whom they have a buddy-buddy relationship. Most consumers are not media literate enough to decipher spin from reality, and so we end up with otherwise ordinary people turning into fearful conspiracy nuts and letting their fear become rage against [insert target of the day here]. If you're contributing to that cycle, you're the problem.

2

Kelruss t1_j7w9vse wrote

I just don’t know how to read situations where journalists write up these fake “studies” like the HonestTea PR stunt where they evaluated the “most honest” cities by leaving a barrel of their product out and asking for people to use the honor system. Or having press releases I’ve sent out personally run word-for-word without a call to me or any other sources (and then I know enough to know when I’m reading a release). Or heck, just a couple of days after BLM RI held a Tyre Nichols vigil, every mainstream local news outlet ran a winking PR stunt story where the Cumberland Police claimed to have arrested Santa Claus and presented “evidence” of his existence.

Every single journalist I’ve ever talked to has said what you wrote about how they’re supposed to do their jobs. And then I see them do these things over and over again. It’s disheartening.

1

kbd77 t1_j7wg8dk wrote

At the end of the day, they're beholden to their corporate overlords. There's a whole ecosystem of middle management that cuts stories in the blink of an eye that will fly in the face of corporate spin. So to that end, it's not the journalists' fault that the narratives are being forced on them. But by choosing to be part of that system, you're perpetuating it. It's frustrating that so many well-intentioned, talented people end up in that situation and choose the easy path that directly causes harm because they don't have the gumption to stand up for what's right.

And I'm not saying I'd be any better in their shoes – I didn't go into the field for a reason. But I also don't think they should get a pass.

3