Journalism: can’t live with it, can’t live without it
Tyrades! by Danny Tyree
I was saddened to hear of the death of Dr. Glenn Himebaugh, co-founder of the journalism department at my alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University.
Although I hadn’t kept in touch with Dr. Himebaugh since graduation 40 years ago, I have to wonder what he thought of the current reality and public perception of the journalism field.
Sadly, trust in journalism has been underwater in surveys for at least two decades.
Whether you attribute it to bias, hubris or groupthink, newspeople (reporters, editors, publishers and broadcasters) – especially on the national level – suffer innumerable self-inflicted wounds.
Retractions receive perhaps one-tenth the prominence of the original error.
Stealth-editing of archived articles is the antithesis of accountability.
Sensationalized headlines prey upon readers who don’t have the time to trudge their way to the more nuanced information buried in the 13th paragraph.
Some reporters can’t get through a press conference without the all-purpose “Some people are saying…” ploy.
“Bombshell” after “bombshell” after “bombshell” fizzles out, revealing more about the wishful thinking of the reporter than the people or institutions they’re covering.
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Copyright 2023 Danny Tyree, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com
