Yellow Journalists: the Ones Who Have No Courage in Them (a rant)

Once "yellow journalism" used to refer to the actions of reporters who exploited or exaggerated stories to create sensations in order to manipulate public opinion and sell papers. Today, yellow journalism is the standard and refers to the work of reporters who are cowards, afraid to honestly and objectively report news, afraid to critically challenge the status quo, afraid to take personal risks in the pursuit of truth.

A hundred years ago, yellow journalists operated on the fringes of respectability. They exhibited an unwholesome obsession with sensational crime stories, titillating scandals, society gossip. And they wrote columns dripping with lurid details.

Today, yellow journalists operate in the mainstream. They write for the NY Times and Washington Post as well as all the other metropolitan newspapers. They write for the small town papers too. They work for the major networks and cable television outlets. Yellow journalists are everywhere.

And make no mistake about it. They are cowards. All of them. Behind the pretty words, the glossy smiles, one can smell the fear. Fear of corporate bosses and their ad departments. Fear of polls and ratings. Fear of reprisal, of political muscle being flexed against them. Fear of anthrax. Fear of being “necklaced” or worse. Fear that lack of access if they fail to slant the news will hurt them professionally. Fear of losing their celebrity status. Fear of losing their jobs. Fear of being called unAmerican. Fear of taking personal risks. Fear of telling the truth.

In short, yellow journalists are afraid of everything except compromising their professional integrity. If this were not the case, the list of journalists who would have in the last few years resigned their positions in protest, under fire, or as an indictment of the practices of the current administration would be much higher. As it is, not a single yellow journalist has taken such a step in the name of their profession. Cowards.

Oh, they tell us they were not cowards. They wear fancy flag pins in their lapels to remind us they are patriots. Patriots who led us to war with banner headlines and flashy graphics in hopes of increasing their circulation, improving their Nielsen ratings, and selling more soap. They embedded themselves with our troops, and gushed with false pride as the president proclaimed victory over terror. As Michael Moore said "Truth became the major casualty."

Macho yellow journalists got American soldiers killed for a lie. Greedy yellow journalists bought their own consciences off with tax cuts for themselves. Arrogant yellow journalists smiled through their lying bleached teeth. Lazy yellow journalists used the white house talking points to help them do their job. Far easier to lip synch the daily line than research and write their own stories. Shallow yellow journalists focused on the titillating and the twisted to distract the public from higher priorities. Frightened yellow journalists collaborated with corrupt individuals to advance their own agendas.

Instead of bringing truth to light, the yellow journalists allowed their own shadows to further obscure all truth.

Cowards by any definition.

That is what the republicans understand so well. Jon Stewart recommended picking up a copy of "All the President's Spin" from the guys at Spinsanity to see this illustrated.

Our job will not end on Nov 3rd even if Kerry is elected. This is a long term project. If we are going to have the type of country we want. A country that goes to war as a last resort, a country where civil liberties apply to ALL citizens then we are going to have to fight like hell for a long time. That is the one thing I have learned in the last few months. Media matters.

I've been wondering; since journalists have so obviously forsaken their duty as the Fourth Estate, should "freedom of the press" still be viable protection for those members of the press who have so obviously brought dishonor to the estate?

I'd love to see discussion on this.

Thanks.

I think we can't survive without a free press. But the public has the responsibility to call them on their lies. A journalist with no credibility is merely a gossip with hairspray.

Perhaps they need to review their own ethical standards. I'm sure they have them.

Also, the FCC needs to enforce fairness doctrines.

Seriously, I thought the fairness doctrine(s) was(were) rescinded.

I hear ya, GO.

They are pansies, afraid of the * Admin and too much in love with themselves to care about the nation they live in.

My local channels do all these touching soldier sendoffs, lots of coverage of healthy, intact people ready to be sent into hell. But once they're in hell? The cowards on the local CBS, ABC and NBC affiliates don't give a damn.

How are the soldiers doing? Who cares! Here's a twenty minute segment of "health news" where we sell the pharmco's high dollar products for them. Aren't we great journalists?

I want to puke every time I try to watch the "News"

so many of us feel and said it so well.

...a People's Bill of Rights for White House - Media Transparency. I've been working on one. The first part, regarding media access, is available at http://webdems.blogspot.com. (It's at the bottom of the page.)

Now there's an idea.

I guess a "transparent" press would also be a good thing. Careful citing of sources required. Solid evidence to support ideas presented. At least as much documentation as a teacher would expect of a pupil writing a research paper.

The hairspray and bleached teeth crowd at CNN wouldn't last ten minutes on DU. Actually having to back up their assertions would certainly wipe the simpering smiles off some of their faces.