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Old 01-18-2010, 04:36 AM
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ilbegone ilbegone is offline
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Sometimes people hear what they want to hear, or maybe with print journalism shedding writers like it is while it's dying, maybe the writer wrote what the publisher wanted to see in print in order to keep a job.

I'm not really sure what to make of the "mostly white"statement, if it was just an observation or if he meant to convey a message concerning race.

I don't believe he would say "mostly Latino" if he were covering a pro illegal rally, because that would be assumed. I believe it would also be assumed that an anti illegal rally would be mostly white.

A reporter would also never state a ratio of American Citizens to foreign nationals in a pro illegal rally, he would just lump them all into the broad and almost meaningless category of "Latino".

It would probably convey quite a different message if there were occasion to mention a significant number of Latinos in attendance at an anti illegal rally. It all goes back to the brainwashing Americans have gotten over the last two or three generations to the effect that only whites are capable of racism, and to oppose anything which is perceived as having to do with minorities is automatically assumed to be white racism.

Generally I believe reporters aren't to be trusted (NOTHING IS OFF THE RECORD), and regardless of how pissed off they can make you with baiting questions having "gotcha" goals, there needs to be care taken to not piss them off. It will definitely be reflected in the write up.

I believe there should be a dedicated person to talk with the press whom everyone else would direct the reporter to. Otherwise, a reporter might shop around until he gets the quotes he wants to frame the article as befits his beliefs.

Good journalism is objective regardless of the subject, but that's a difficult thing in practice.
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Last edited by ilbegone; 01-18-2010 at 04:50 AM.
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