Monday, September 28, 2009
Fall guy appointed at NY Times
We found nothing wrong with the Times's judgment in not jumping on this bandwagon to a beat set by a right wing chorus. They carried an AP story that covered the essential news points of the day.
The paper's judgment can be faulted for not providing the analysis that can set apart a newspaper's style of journalism from all the other supposed alternatives: The ACORN sting story needed perspective. Reflexively responding to the right's calls of bias does nothing to maintain the intellectual integrity and veracity of the paper. The charges of bias are just as politically motivated as were the videographers.
ACORN now has a chance to remake itself and develop a deeper community base (they'll pay a penalty for stupidity and lose federal dollars). But some other unintended good may come of this, also.
The legislation that will deny federal contracts to ACORN could just as easily deny contracts to Blackwater/Xe, KBR and Halliburton for their misdeeds. ¶ 9/28/2009 12:56:00 PM
The paper's judgment can be faulted for not providing the analysis that can set apart a newspaper's style of journalism from all the other supposed alternatives: The ACORN sting story needed perspective. Reflexively responding to the right's calls of bias does nothing to maintain the intellectual integrity and veracity of the paper. The charges of bias are just as politically motivated as were the videographers.
ACORN now has a chance to remake itself and develop a deeper community base (they'll pay a penalty for stupidity and lose federal dollars). But some other unintended good may come of this, also.
The legislation that will deny federal contracts to ACORN could just as easily deny contracts to Blackwater/Xe, KBR and Halliburton for their misdeeds. ¶ 9/28/2009 12:56:00 PM
