Wednesday, May 06, 2009

John Kerry Calls Newspapers "Endangered Species" & Questions Credibility of Online News

Former Presidential candidate John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, voiced his concerns about the struggling newspaper industry. During a senate panel about the status of the industry, Kerry implied that online news sources may not be as reliable as the print editions.
 

Will the emerging news media be more fragmented by interests and political partisanship?" Kerry asked. There also is the important question of whether online journalism will sustain the values of professional journalism, the way the newspaper industry has.

I agree with Kerry on one point: Newspapers face more scrutiny than a random blog, because they're managed by an editorial staff.  In a perfect world, no news articles would contain any bias, but that's a pipe dream.

Kerry's foolish to suggest that most print newspapers strongly adhere to a code of "values" that's higher than most online news sites. If each paper defines their own set of values, there's no consistent standard for objectivity.

It's no coincidence that republicans prefer the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times, and vice-versa.
Newspaper bias may not be as blatantly obvious compared to an online site, it still exist. Everyone is biased, the only difference is a matter of degrees. Senator Ben Cardin , who introduced the newspaper revitilzation act, is one of several politicians, including Nancy Pelosi, who believe that newspapers should be reclassified as non-charitable organizations to receive tax exempt status.

At this point, I don't think any action, private or public, can save the faltering newspaper industry. It's too little, too late.

Posted By Matt O'Hern at 03:08 PM
Permanent Link: John Kerry Calls Newspapers "Endangered Species" & Questions Credibility of Online News | Comments (2)

(2) Comments on John Kerry Calls Newspapers "Endangered Species" & Questions Credibility of Online News

I still look to all newspapers for news and information, editorials and commentary. The internet is just the tool I use to locate these things. In this respect, newspapers are still needed and I would hate to see their demise. I am afraid of what we might be left with.

Comments by Margie V : Wednesday, May 06, 2009 at 04:55 PM

Community Newspaper are a totally different ball game. While naturally they have hurt somewhat, but in the long run they have remained steady. By community, I mean towns of around 10,000 and below.

Comments by Ben : Wednesday, May 06, 2009 at 05:51 PM

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