Question

[cyr330]

Just what exactly do "journalists" learn at journalism school these days? With the likes of Paul Zahn et al. I wonder if they even possess journalism credentials? Do most of these "reporters n television just read what others write for them? I'm curious.

[liberal N proud]

1. How to spin!

[shaolinmonkey]

2. and how to apply makeup.

[Mizmoon]

3. The same thing that has gone wrong with books and music

have gone wrong in journalism. It's no longer about producing the best product around, it's about producing what makes the most money.

The consolidation of massive media companies is to blame in all cases.

[secular_warrior]

5. Bingo. Until we break up Big Media, this problem will only get worse.

Remember, these people like Zahn, Matthews, etc are simply employees trying to please their bosses. Their bosses report to bigger bosses who are trying to get the most ad revenue, and the way to do that is to get higher ratings with a more profitable viewership, i.e. upper middle class whites, who tend to skew Republican. The news then becomes a product tailored for that target audience in order to maximize profit.

Now, there is always going to be some of that going on. But media regulation and de-consolidation will greatly alleviate the problem by increasing competition and giving people more choices.

It's amazing how the "free marketeers" don't actually like the free market when it doesn't benefit them. Only a few companies own the media, and therefore perception, and therefore elections and therefore the government. Dems must make media reform their top priority.

[hobbit709]

4. Question

They're certainly not teaching spelling and grammar. My mother, who was born and raised in Austria constantly had to correct these graduates at the newspaper she worked at before she retired. they couldn't tell the difference between such basics as their, there, and they're.