Sept. 03, 2006 - 20:49 MDT

ON THE PRO SIDE

There are usually two sides to every question and a bunch of quibblings following behind and making confusion rampant. In the editorial section of The Denver Post of today is an article by Nancy Pile House of Estes Park, Colorado that seems to me to be quite common sense. Quoted here in full:

STILL SOME WORTH IN JOURNALISM

"I am a small, elderly woman who plays bad bridge and knits afghans for my grandchildren. But even though I'm ordinary, I am also, in many minds, a demon."

"I'm a journalist."

"Actually, I'm a double demon. I'm a retired university professor. For 15 years I taught journalism and mass communication at a large university. I took innocent students and turned them into jounalists -- at least I tried to."

"And I am ashamed of aspects of my profession. I'm ashamed of the television reporter who had her face pressed so tightly to the window of John Mark Karr's vehicle this week that she was in all the pictures with him. I'm ashamed of the managing editor of a northern Colorado newspaper who told me "I get all these damn journalism students who want to change the world and I have to let them know this is a business." I'm ashamed of the fact that John Ramsey is considering moving to another country to avoid being hounded by the media. I'm sorry that bloggers can put out any story they want and people will believe it's the truth."

"I'm ashamed of what some people do, but I am not ashamed of my profession."

"The textbook I used in my university classes was written by Melvin Mencher, a Coloradan, who believed that journalism was a calling. He quoted an editor of The Times of London who said "journalism is something more than a craft, other than an industry, something between an art and a ministry."

"I can hear the snorts of derision from editors and program directors as they read that statement. To quote that northern Colorado editor, "It's a business. You have to make money."

"What journalism is really is a high wire act. You do have to pay salaries, buy equipment, keep ahead of the competition, make money for the stockholders. but you also have to do what journalism was intended to do -- be a watchdog for the public, a town crier, a service to the community."

"Where do you turn when you need an advocate ? "The city misses picking up my trash one more time and I'm going to write a letter to the editor !" "I don't know anything about that guy who is runing for office. Was his biography in the paper ?" "Did you know that city official drives a Ferrari and has a second home in Aspen ? How does he do that ?" A good journalist will find out and tell you what you want or need to know."

"I truly wish reporters and editors got paid by the ethic rather than the hour or the line. But they don't and abuses are large, never more than when there is a "hot" story such as the killing of a beautiful child."

"But I do believe that the core of jounalism is holding, that it is worth being the only "business" mentioned by name in the Constitution."

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It is one reason that I no longer try to watch television, "news persons" with a frantic pitch to their voice trying to get me to think what they are saying is actually "news" not a rerun from last hours news. Thinking about the mine disaster coverage in West Virginia recently is one case. And the "journalists" hanging out like a flag in hurricane winds, telling us that it is blowing a bit hard and expected to get harder before long. No matter what channel, same stuff - different journalist.

At least with a newspaper I have a chance to back up and reread something I didn't understand the first time around. And at least the next day there might be some actual news.

One complaint I have with the newspapers is that often the story as printed does not cover all the facts of a news item. Often the story is not told completely, things left out and not mentioned. Often an article gives no basis for comparison with similar things.

I was told by an old relative once, "There are three lines of endeavor that require a "calling", preachin', teachin' and doctorin'." I agree and would like to add to that list Journaling.

And by the way, preachers, teachers and doctors get paid.

When I drive by the scene of an accident, I would like to read the facts in the paper not have bloody kleenex rubbed in my face -- I saw more of that than I wished on the drive by.

So, on this matter and the article by Nancy Pike Hause I am ON THE PRO SIDE . . . . . . . . . . .

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