How do you decide which journalists on TV are the worst? Should you go by ratings? Journalistic integrity? Some other factor? You could easily go by any of these things to compile a list of the worst journalists on TV but in truth it all comes down to journalism.
What makes a good TV personality and what makes a good journalist are two different lists. This list is about journalism, not ratings or anything else. Journalism is relaying the unbiased truth. That being said, here are the 6 worst journalists on TV today.
Glenn Beck
Arguably the worst of the bunch, Glenn Beck barely qualifies as a journalist. He uses his TV program as a platform to spread bigotry and paranoia. He feeds off those who are suspicious of people who are different. He provides his audience with half-baked conclusions and incendiary comments that, at best, are just meant to make him controversial enough to get ratings. To borrow an expression from comedienne Kathy Griffin, Glenn Beck seems to be "proud of his aggressive ignorance".
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews allows his own opinion to warp his view of the facts. This alone places him squarely on this list.
Bill O'Reilly
Again reports from Bill O'Reilly have a decidedly conservative slant. Now some might say that is a liberal viewpoint but there is a difference between a conservative perspective and a conservative slant. One allows you to report the news and then add in your opinion. The other one changes stories to support the host's leanings. Bill O'Reilly is the perfect example of the second type.
Rush Limbaugh
This is another name that is well known but only because of his deliberately controversial comments. He makes arguments with limited factual content and wild interpretations. So why is he so popular? Like many in a position like his, he has an audience that does not understand the basic components of a logical argument so they do not see the many flaws in his. He uses their lack of understanding to gain their allegiance.
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is one of the worst journalists because he has a habit of not reporting the truth and just reporting his own agenda. He feeds off the fear of terrorism and uses that to gain support. His "us" against "them" mentality takes those who do not understand that countries are not sports teams and tells them it is them or us. The term fear-mongering comes to mind.
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell has an elitist perspective and enough prejudice to color her reporting. Aside from that, she falls in line with some of the others on this list for the usual offenses of not relaying the full truth.
If this list seems slanted, it is. But only because many current news programs are leaning in this direction. Right now there is an abundance of personalities of this sort on TV. At some point this will no doubt shift to questionable reporting that comes primarily from some other group. For now, this is where the most terribly biased reporting is coming from.
Journalism is finding about truth, not finding the way to tell a story that makes you sound right. Popularity does not make for good journalism and it does not make a person right. There have been many popular beliefs in history that were wrong. The world is not flat even if your friends and your favorite TV personality all agree that it is.
Tom Rheinecker blogs about how to choose a degree in journalism.
Sabtu, 13 Februari 2010
The 6 Worst Journalists On TV Today
What makes a good TV personality and what makes a good journalist are two different lists. This list is about journalism, not ratings or anything else. Journalism is relaying the unbiased truth. That being said, here are the 6 worst journalists on TV today.
Glenn Beck
Arguably the worst of the bunch, Glenn Beck barely qualifies as a journalist. He uses his TV program as a platform to spread bigotry and paranoia. He feeds off those who are suspicious of people who are different. He provides his audience with half-baked conclusions and incendiary comments that, at best, are just meant to make him controversial enough to get ratings. To borrow an expression from comedienne Kathy Griffin, Glenn Beck seems to be "proud of his aggressive ignorance".
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews allows his own opinion to warp his view of the facts. This alone places him squarely on this list.
Bill O'Reilly
Again reports from Bill O'Reilly have a decidedly conservative slant. Now some might say that is a liberal viewpoint but there is a difference between a conservative perspective and a conservative slant. One allows you to report the news and then add in your opinion. The other one changes stories to support the host's leanings. Bill O'Reilly is the perfect example of the second type.
Rush Limbaugh
This is another name that is well known but only because of his deliberately controversial comments. He makes arguments with limited factual content and wild interpretations. So why is he so popular? Like many in a position like his, he has an audience that does not understand the basic components of a logical argument so they do not see the many flaws in his. He uses their lack of understanding to gain their allegiance.
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is one of the worst journalists because he has a habit of not reporting the truth and just reporting his own agenda. He feeds off the fear of terrorism and uses that to gain support. His "us" against "them" mentality takes those who do not understand that countries are not sports teams and tells them it is them or us. The term fear-mongering comes to mind.
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell has an elitist perspective and enough prejudice to color her reporting. Aside from that, she falls in line with some of the others on this list for the usual offenses of not relaying the full truth.
If this list seems slanted, it is. But only because many current news programs are leaning in this direction. Right now there is an abundance of personalities of this sort on TV. At some point this will no doubt shift to questionable reporting that comes primarily from some other group. For now, this is where the most terribly biased reporting is coming from.
Journalism is finding about truth, not finding the way to tell a story that makes you sound right. Popularity does not make for good journalism and it does not make a person right. There have been many popular beliefs in history that were wrong. The world is not flat even if your friends and your favorite TV personality all agree that it is.
Tom Rheinecker blogs about how to choose a degree in journalism.
Langganan:
Posting Komentar (Atom)
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar