Mini-editorial: NBC News anchor endorses one-sided journalism

AlwaysWrite

AlwaysWrite

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When I began a long career in newspaper journalism in 1959, I joined an honored profession, but when I left it in 2011, I was totally ashamed with regard to the state of American journalism.

When the top news anchor for a major network comes out and says that “fairness is overrated”, everyone should know that something's badly wrong.

NBC's Lester Holt, while recently accepting the Edward R. Morrow Lifetime Achievement Award, made comments that actually endorsed the modern-day concept of one-sided reporting, insisting that there is no need to present both sides of an issue.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, such a dismissive attitude toward journalistic fairness should concern you, and Holt’s "signal" to other reporters that objectivity and fairness no longer matter is alarming.

Holt claimed that "it’s become clear that fairness is overrated," adding that "the idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in."

Ironically, Holt was receiving an award named after iconic American journalist Edward R Murrow, who wouldn't recognize or believe what the profession has become if he was alive today.

 
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NBC's Lester Holt says we don’t need to hear both sides to define truth: ‘Fairness is overrated’


NBC "Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt is the latest high-profile TV journalist to join the growing trend of endorsing one-sided reporting.

While accepting an award at the 45th Murrow Symposium this week, Holt claimed that "it’s become clear that fairness is overrated," adding that "the idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in."

"That the sun sets in the west is a fact. Any contrary view does not deserve our time or attention," Holt said. "Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Providing an open platform for misinformation, for anyone to come say whatever they want, especially when issues of public health and safety are at stake, can be quite dangerous. Our duty is to be fair to the truth."

Holt's colleague Chuck Todd became a pioneer of sorts by outwardly declaring that having a robust debate about politically charged subjects wasn't necessary.

In a 2019 special dedicating an entire hour to the "climate crisis", the "Meet the Press" moderator defended his decision not to invite climate skeptics onto his show.

"We’re not going to debate climate change, the existence of it. The Earth is getting hotter and human activity is a major cause, period," he told viewers. "We’re not going to give time to climate deniers. The science is settled, even if political opinion is not."

He later doubled down during an appearance on "The Daily Show."

"We had a robust debate about taxes. That’s the debate," Todd told host Trevor Noah. "The debate is 'What do you do? This.'"

"But not for climate change, why not?" Noah asked.

"Well, I also didn’t invite anybody who didn’t believe in the moon landing, and I also didn’t invite anybody who is a flat-earther. Is that all right?" Todd shot back.

Noah continued to press the NBC News political director, echoing critics who say that "the press should be giving everyone an equal voice."

"That is - no," Todd responded. "Our job is to be fair. Our job is to be fair to the facts that are there. How do we mitigate climate change? How do we - if we’re going to build sea walls, where do we build them and who pays for that?"

 
Even from corrupt wiki:

Journalism ethics and standards - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Journalism is guided by five values:

  1. Honesty: journalists must be truthful. It is unacceptable to report information known to be false, or report facts in a misleading way to give a wrong impression;
  2. Independence and objectivity: journalists should avoid topics in which they have a financial or personal interest that would provide them a particular benefit in the subject matter, as that interest may introduce bias into their reporting, or give the impression of such bias. In cases where a journalist may have a specific financial or personal interest, the interest should be disclosed;
  3. Fairness: journalists must present facts with impartiality and neutrality, presenting other viewpoints and sides to a story where these exist. It is unacceptable to slant facts;
  4. Diligence: a journalist should gather and present pertinent facts to provide a good understanding of the subject reported;
  5. Accountability: a journalist must be accountable for their work, prepared to accept criticism and consequences.[13






So when in the last 15 years has MSM followed these values?
 
I saw a post in twitter recently that journalists should protect the powerless and investigate the powerfully.

Who are the powerless? Who a journalism decides is powerless? Who are the powerful? Why isn't the MSM investigating big tech? Are they now powerless?

I also have been reading pieces talking about moral clarity over objectivity. Horse shit. The readers decide on their own moral clarity, not the press.

A Reason article rebuttal against this crap:

Redirect Notice

www.google.com
 
Dear WAMO:

There is a significant difference between NEWS journalism and OPINION journalism, and all too often, many modern-day journalists don't seem to know the difference.
 
Opinion article: To save the Republic, destroy the media

The profession, or at least what it used to be and is supposed to be, is important to the country. People need to know what is happening in their world. But what we have now is not journalism, it’s something else, something beyond propaganda. It can’t be reformed, the core isn’t rotten, it’s deliberately corrupt and hell bent on the destruction of our way of life.

https://townhall.com/columnists/der...d237a49440294297727c9cbe341bc71&recip=6641035
 
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