Comments on: The god impartiality http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/ by Jeff Jarvis Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:35:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jim Muttram http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-354192 Jim Muttram Wed, 04 Jul 2007 10:16:08 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-354192 The BBC's <a href="http://bloggingrbi.blogspot.com/2007/07/bbc-balance.html" rel="nofollow">impartiality was stretched a bit </a>over the coverage of Alan Johnstone's abduction - especially when compared with the coverage given to other abductees... The BBC’s impartiality was stretched a bit over the coverage of Alan Johnstone’s abduction - especially when compared with the coverage given to other abductees…

]]> By: T. Rex Bean http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-353124 T. Rex Bean Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:14:24 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-353124 Question: should journalists be allowed to donate to political candidates? Should (actually, you can't prevent them) be allowed to vote? If they vote, should their political affiliations be published (ie, dem/repub/independent). should they be asked for whom they voted? Also, be advised that some organizations — such as Fox News — allow editors and reporters to contribute to political candidates. Others — Post, NYT, CNN — do not. Disclosure: I have a horse in this race. I am a "journalist" — no, really, I am, those quotes are a bit of postmodern irony — and I've made a donation to a political candidate. Fire away. Question: should journalists be allowed to donate to political candidates? Should (actually, you can’t prevent them) be allowed to vote? If they vote, should their political affiliations be published (ie, dem/repub/independent). should they be asked for whom they voted? Also, be advised that some organizations — such as Fox News — allow editors and reporters to contribute to political candidates. Others — Post, NYT, CNN — do not.
Disclosure: I have a horse in this race. I am a “journalist” — no, really, I am, those quotes are a bit of postmodern irony — and I’ve made a donation to a political candidate.

Fire away.

]]> By: Nick Reynolds (BBC) http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-352004 Nick Reynolds (BBC) Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:53:10 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-352004 The trouble is that the BBC is required by law and by its royal charter to be impartial. All broadcasters are required to do this in the UK. UK newspapers are not. Until this changes (I don't think it will) the BBC will strive to be impartial. The BBC Trust's report said the BBC's audiences have a good understanding of what impartiality is, and want the BBC to be impartial. The trouble is that the BBC is required by law and by its royal charter to be impartial. All broadcasters are required to do this in the UK. UK newspapers are not. Until this changes (I don’t think it will) the BBC will strive to be impartial.

The BBC Trust’s report said the BBC’s audiences have a good understanding of what impartiality is, and want the BBC to be impartial.

]]> By: 12 regole per una Rai più imparziale :: MezzoMondo http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351920 12 regole per una Rai più imparziale :: MezzoMondo Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:53:05 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351920 [...] Questo solo perché le ho tradotte da qui, e io NON SO tradurre dall’inglese. (2) La BBC, [...] [...] Questo solo perché le ho tradotte da qui, e io NON SO tradurre dall’inglese. (2) La BBC, [...]

]]> By: Wordblog » Blog Archive » BBC wants alchemists http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351883 Wordblog » Blog Archive » BBC wants alchemists Tue, 19 Jun 2007 11:59:34 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351883 [...] that God is dead and we’re stranded in a moral vortex. Still, in a passing nod to Nietzsche, twelve aphorisms are offered for guidance. The reality is that editors chart the limits of impartiality by weighing [...] [...] that God is dead and we’re stranded in a moral vortex. Still, in a passing nod to Nietzsche, twelve aphorisms are offered for guidance. The reality is that editors chart the limits of impartiality by weighing [...]

]]> By: The BBC is Un-American. Its biased, pro-government news will fare poorly in the States. « The Future of News http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351781 The BBC is Un-American. Its biased, pro-government news will fare poorly in the States. « The Future of News Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:09:35 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351781 [...] out this week has identified a “culture of bias” toward trendy, lefty, statist causes. Jeff Jarvis notes the impossibility of the BBC successfully reflecting diverse views and remaining [...] [...] out this week has identified a “culture of bias” toward trendy, lefty, statist causes. Jeff Jarvis notes the impossibility of the BBC successfully reflecting diverse views and remaining [...]

]]> By: Does Broadcast have to be impartial? at TwentyNothing http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351770 Does Broadcast have to be impartial? at TwentyNothing Mon, 18 Jun 2007 22:50:58 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351770 [...] is hot stuff at the moment, especially with respect to the BBC. Jeff Jarvis is talking about it here, Adrian Monck over here, and MediaGuardian here (and about twelve other pages today) - and [...] [...] is hot stuff at the moment, especially with respect to the BBC. Jeff Jarvis is talking about it here, Adrian Monck over here, and MediaGuardian here (and about twelve other pages today) - and [...]

]]> By: Charlie Beckett http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351750 Charlie Beckett Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:44:06 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351750 Jeff: It's not just about the BBC as I write in this article for Opendemocracy.net, it is about all of us under pressure of time and resources - all the more reason to think through the advantages of networked journalism: http://www.opendemocracy.net/media_net/journalism_war/africa_bad_good Jeff:
It’s not just about the BBC as I write in this article for Opendemocracy.net, it is about all of us under pressure of time and resources - all the more reason to think through the advantages of networked journalism:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/media_net/journalism_war/africa_bad_good

]]> By: Tom Tucker http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351676 Tom Tucker Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:32:34 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351676 sorry about double post...check out this link: http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/179014.aspx sorry about double post…check out this link: http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/179014.aspx

]]> By: Tom Tucker http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351675 Tom Tucker Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:28:56 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351675 Is the BBC really as impartial as some claim it is? Is the BBC really as impartial as some claim it is?

]]> By: Austin http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351665 Austin Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:18:14 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351665 Of course, the BBC's effort to remain impartial is one of the big reasons why it's one of the only news outlets that's worth a damn anymore. American news media is total crap. If it's not obviously biased, it's wasting our time with non-news (i.e. Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, and Paris Hilton) or advertorials (i.e. check out the new tech-gadgets!). Big monolithic news organizations like the BBC may have their faults but I have more respect for the BBC as a news source than anything in this country save for NPR and PBS. Of course, the BBC’s effort to remain impartial is one of the big reasons why it’s one of the only news outlets that’s worth a damn anymore. American news media is total crap. If it’s not obviously biased, it’s wasting our time with non-news (i.e. Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, and Paris Hilton) or advertorials (i.e. check out the new tech-gadgets!). Big monolithic news organizations like the BBC may have their faults but I have more respect for the BBC as a news source than anything in this country save for NPR and PBS.

]]> By: Steve Rhodes http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351660 Steve Rhodes Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:45:32 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351660 I just got this email: <blockquote> June 18, 2007 For more than a century, "objectivity" -- the dispassionate presentation of events and facts -- has been considered an ideal in American journalism. But in print, over the airwaves, and through the Internet, the line that separates objective journalism with opinion journalism may be blurring. In particular, cable television has offered more and more programs melding news with opinion. The cable ratings leader, The Fox News Channel, has built much of its success through an opinionated evening lineup. Hosts like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity leave little doubt to where they stand when discussing the news of the day. CNN and MSNBC have also incorporated more opinion into their evening shows. Over time, CNN's evening news host, Lou Dobbs, has put more of his own views into his newscast, most notably in his recent coverage of immigration. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann regularly makes clear his disdain for the Bush Administration, particularly in its handling of the Iraq War. Tonight, Senior Correspondent Jeffrey Brown discusses the increasing mix of news and opinion in journalism with Callie Crossley, regular contributor to the media criticism program "Beat the Press" on Boston's WGBH and former award-winning television producer at ABC News, and Jeff Jarvis, author of the Buzzmachine.com weblog and associate professor and director of the Interactive Journalism program at the City University of New York. Visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/topic/media after 9 p.m. Eastern time for more information on this segment. EDITOR'S NOTE: Segments highlighted on Media Watch Alert are scheduled to air but subject to change. </blockquote> I just got this email:

June 18, 2007

For more than a century, “objectivity” — the dispassionate presentation of events and facts — has been considered an ideal in American journalism. But in print, over the airwaves, and through the Internet, the line that separates objective journalism with opinion journalism may be blurring.

In particular, cable television has offered more and more programs melding news with opinion. The cable ratings leader, The Fox News Channel, has built much of its success through an opinionated evening lineup. Hosts like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity leave little doubt to where they stand when discussing the news of the day.

CNN and MSNBC have also incorporated more opinion into their evening shows. Over time, CNN’s evening news host, Lou Dobbs, has put more of his own views into his newscast, most notably in his recent coverage of immigration. MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann regularly makes clear his disdain for the Bush Administration, particularly in its handling of the Iraq War.

Tonight, Senior Correspondent Jeffrey Brown discusses the increasing mix of news and opinion in journalism with Callie Crossley, regular contributor to the media criticism program “Beat the Press” on Boston’s WGBH and former award-winning television producer at ABC News, and Jeff Jarvis, author of the Buzzmachine.com weblog and associate professor and director of the Interactive Journalism program at the City University of New York.

Visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/topic/media after 9 p.m. Eastern time for more information on this segment.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Segments highlighted on Media Watch Alert are scheduled to air but subject to change.

]]> By: chico haas http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351659 chico haas Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:33:47 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351659 The Weather Channel: It's raining in Washington. CNN: A June rain in Washington is further evidence of global warming. FOX: If the rain in Washington causes floods, the Admnistration is prepared to act. BBC: Even with a deluge in Washington, Mr. Blair has been summoned to the White House and will comply. ESPN: The Senators are in a rain delay. C-SPAN: CAMERA AT WINDOW FOR 3 HOURS, SOUND OF RAIN AND TRAFFIC. The Weather Channel: It’s raining in Washington.
CNN: A June rain in Washington is further evidence of global warming.
FOX: If the rain in Washington causes floods, the Admnistration is prepared to act.
BBC: Even with a deluge in Washington, Mr. Blair has been summoned to the White House and will comply.
ESPN: The Senators are in a rain delay.
C-SPAN: CAMERA AT WINDOW FOR 3 HOURS, SOUND OF RAIN AND TRAFFIC.

]]> By: Tansley - addendum http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351657 Tansley - addendum Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:12:00 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351657 On the face of it, your argumentive question "Can true Objectivity/Impartiality actually EXIST?" (slightly paraphrased) essentially has the answer of 'sure - news without commentary.' Raw video footage with no one explaining what is going on. Which is, of course, chaos. Even then, one could easily make the argument that WHERE the camera is POINTED indicates a degree of bias on the videographer's part. The BBC strives for this objectivity as much as any subjective medium possibly can, and that, perhaps, makes its quest a somewhat noble one - however ultimately impossible it may be...but it at least exemplifies the fundamental tenet of journalism, which is reporting sans opinion. A far cry, as you point out, from the current directions American Television has been taking - and the main reason my television news watching is confined solely to The News Hour on PBS... On the face of it, your argumentive question “Can true Objectivity/Impartiality actually EXIST?” (slightly paraphrased) essentially has the answer of ’sure - news without commentary.’ Raw video footage with no one explaining what is going on. Which is, of course, chaos. Even then, one could easily make the argument that WHERE the camera is POINTED indicates a degree of bias on the videographer’s part.

The BBC strives for this objectivity as much as any subjective medium possibly can, and that, perhaps, makes its quest a somewhat noble one - however ultimately impossible it may be…but it at least exemplifies the fundamental tenet of journalism, which is reporting sans opinion.

A far cry, as you point out, from the current directions American Television has been taking - and the main reason my television news watching is confined solely to The News Hour on PBS…

]]> By: Steve Boriss http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351656 Steve Boriss Mon, 18 Jun 2007 17:49:55 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351656 We Americans owe just about everything to our British heritage, and our cultures continue to be very much alike. But, the fact that the British public acquiesces to news dominated by a government-type entity like the BBC represents a large and fundamental between our two countries. Our founders thought of the press as a "fence" to keep government from encroaching on individual rights, which is impossible to accomplish if the government essentially controls the press. (Steve Boriss, <a href="http://www.thefutureofnews.com" rel="nofollow">The Future of News</a>) We Americans owe just about everything to our British heritage, and our cultures continue to be very much alike. But, the fact that the British public acquiesces to news dominated by a government-type entity like the BBC represents a large and fundamental between our two countries. Our founders thought of the press as a “fence” to keep government from encroaching on individual rights, which is impossible to accomplish if the government essentially controls the press. (Steve Boriss, The Future of News)

]]> By: Jabba the Tutt http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351652 Jabba the Tutt Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351652 Okay, if the BBC is just another channel in a world of niche channels, then privatize it. Stop the taxation to support the BBC and stop its special privileged position. They can't have it both ways. They can't have a perspective AND be publically-owned and chartered to be an impartial channel of information. Do you think Mr Perspective Peter Horrocks supports this idea? Okay, if the BBC is just another channel in a world of niche channels, then privatize it. Stop the taxation to support the BBC and stop its special privileged position. They can’t have it both ways. They can’t have a perspective AND be publically-owned and chartered to be an impartial channel of information. Do you think Mr Perspective Peter Horrocks supports this idea?

]]> By: paul http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351644 paul Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:26:56 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/06/18/the-god-impartiality/#comment-351644 There are no impartial media sources on this or any other planet. There are no impartial media sources on this or any other planet.

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