Posted on 03/13/2006 6:48:55 AM PST by abb
An explosion of media outlets means we now have more coverage and carping about every conceivable event than ever before in history.
But we also have less reporting.
Hundreds of cable and radio commentators, and millions of bloggers, can sound off about the news in real time. But the number of old-fashioned fact-gatherers is dwindling, and will almost certainly continue to shrink.
In the Philadelphia area, for instance, the number of newspaper reporters has fallen from 500 to 220 in the last quarter-century. Most of the local television stations have cut back on traditional news coverage. Five AM radio stations used to cover news; now there are two.
These figures are drawn from a new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism describing what it calls a "seismic transformation" in the media landscape. The good news is that the average consumer can in effect create his own news, picking and choosing from sources he trusts and enjoys rather than being spoon-fed by a handful of big corporations
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
There they go - not with a bang but a whimper!
The DNC will fax the facts to them and save them the trouble.
You forgot 'gnashing of teeth'.
I wonder how much "fact gathering" ever got done. The Woodward -Bernstein myth of the "intrepid reporter" may have been mostly that, a myth. In reality reporters are used by various and sundry actors - you want to get your version of the story out - you call your friendly reporter - so it's not wearing out shoe leather pounding the pavement - it's answering the phone.
Howard has his cause and effect backwards. The lack of "old fashioned fact gathering" reporters is the the cause of the explosion of the alternative media.
In reality, as you said, the brave reporter sits at his desk and waits for the press releases to arrive.
There never was 'old fashioned fact gathering'. Prior to newspaper consolidation, there were multiple dailies in each major city. Each had specific political agendas tailored for their respective readership.
As it turns out, the short 20 year period of single newspaper coverage is coming to a close. Combined with the decline of broadcast media (after 40 years of dominance), represents a significant shift we are witenessing/participating each day.
Perhaps the RSS Reader will dominate and people will be able to take it with them in an IPOD-like thing or even, heaven forbid, a printout.
Unlike the local rag, The King County Journal, which has almost reached the point where I unsubscribe forever.
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..outstanding fact gathering Mapes...I'll get this on the air immediately.......by the way...who is Lucy Rameriz
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