Comments on: A question for the Canadian media on the use of anonymous sources http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/2009/02/04/a-question-for-the-canadian-media-on-the-use-of-anonymous-sources/ My personal opinions on social and political issues from a progressive standpoint. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:01:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ron http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/2009/02/04/a-question-for-the-canadian-media-on-the-use-of-anonymous-sources/comment-page-1/#comment-18113 Ron Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:31:29 +0000 http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/?p=3879#comment-18113 Excellent post - finally someone else is highlighting a problem I have noticed in the MSM for a long time. Lazyness is probably a large part of the problem but I am starting to believe it is simply a cover for the author pushing his/her own agenda and opinion. All too frequently the phrase "critics say" is being used for the same purpose. When and where did the quality and honesty of our reporters start its downhill slide? Probably about the same time they became celebrities. Check out any of the political shows and you have wall to wall journalists flogging an opinion - facts and proof have become hinderances so they quote "reliable sources", "critics", "inside sources" etc. Quality is in a steep decline - partisanship is becoming more and more blatant. It may be one of the reasons newspapers are experiencing declining readership - why pay for slanted, one sided, unreliable information when the blogs are overflowing with it!!!!! Excellent post – finally someone else is highlighting a problem I have noticed in the MSM for a long time. Lazyness is probably a large part of the problem but I am starting to believe it is simply a cover for the author pushing his/her own agenda and opinion. All too frequently the phrase “critics say” is being used for the same purpose. When and where did the quality and honesty of our reporters start its downhill slide? Probably about the same time they became celebrities. Check out any of the political shows and you have wall to wall journalists flogging an opinion – facts and proof have become hinderances so they quote “reliable sources”, “critics”, “inside sources” etc. Quality is in a steep decline – partisanship is becoming more and more blatant. It may be one of the reasons newspapers are experiencing declining readership – why pay for slanted, one sided, unreliable information when the blogs are overflowing with it!!!!!

]]> By: Jason Townsend http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/2009/02/04/a-question-for-the-canadian-media-on-the-use-of-anonymous-sources/comment-page-1/#comment-18110 Jason Townsend Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:21:57 +0000 http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/?p=3879#comment-18110 Mind you, Jane Taber has the same story, published twice, on the Globe and Mail right now - Ignatieff takes heat for decision, is the headline, excluding the somwhat crucial detail "from Tom Fricking Flanagan," who would argue Ignatieff was making a shameful and potentially fatal error if he singlehandedly solved the world's problems and brought about the millennium. Mind you, Jane Taber has the same story, published twice, on the Globe and Mail right now – Ignatieff takes heat for decision, is the headline, excluding the somwhat crucial detail “from Tom Fricking Flanagan,” who would argue Ignatieff was making a shameful and potentially fatal error if he singlehandedly solved the world’s problems and brought about the millennium.

]]> By: Jason Townsend http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/2009/02/04/a-question-for-the-canadian-media-on-the-use-of-anonymous-sources/comment-page-1/#comment-18109 Jason Townsend Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:18:42 +0000 http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/?p=3879#comment-18109 "Democrats in disarray.doc" and "Leak from Senior Liberal.doc" are on the hard drives of every lazy hack in DC and Ottawa; all they do is load it up, cut and paste some quotes and poof, there's a new story, and you can tell it's all journalistic because it advances a conventional wisdom narrative; everyone nod sagely. I saw a sportswriter describe a hockey defense as "as leaky as the Liberal caucus" a few months back. "As lazy as a bush-league Canadian political journalist" would have been apter. “Democrats in disarray.doc” and “Leak from Senior Liberal.doc” are on the hard drives of every lazy hack in DC and Ottawa; all they do is load it up, cut and paste some quotes and poof, there’s a new story, and you can tell it’s all journalistic because it advances a conventional wisdom narrative; everyone nod sagely.

I saw a sportswriter describe a hockey defense as “as leaky as the Liberal caucus” a few months back. “As lazy as a bush-league Canadian political journalist” would have been apter.

]]> By: Chrystal Ocean http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/2009/02/04/a-question-for-the-canadian-media-on-the-use-of-anonymous-sources/comment-page-1/#comment-18107 Chrystal Ocean Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:52:53 +0000 http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/?p=3879#comment-18107 It's not just laziness and it's not just about manufacturing news when there isn't any. It's also about slanting public perception. The corporate media have long since passed the impartiality-in-the-press principle. It’s not just laziness and it’s not just about manufacturing news when there isn’t any. It’s also about slanting public perception. The corporate media have long since passed the impartiality-in-the-press principle.

]]> By: BCer in Toronto http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/2009/02/04/a-question-for-the-canadian-media-on-the-use-of-anonymous-sources/comment-page-1/#comment-18105 BCer in Toronto Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:38:19 +0000 http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/?p=3879#comment-18105 I agree with you Scott, I'd just say this problem is not just confined to Liberal sources. We see anon sources snipping from other parties too. So the media isn't biased against one party or another (not that you said they were), they're biased in favour of a sensational story. And they're lazy. it's easier to get a juicy anon quote, people wouldn't say this stuff on the record. I agree with you Scott, I’d just say this problem is not just confined to Liberal sources. We see anon sources snipping from other parties too. So the media isn’t biased against one party or another (not that you said they were), they’re biased in favour of a sensational story. And they’re lazy. it’s easier to get a juicy anon quote, people wouldn’t say this stuff on the record.

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