New York Times new public editor: Another Step Forward on the 'Post-Truth Politics' Trail

[pampango]

Thanks to many readers who have sent pointers to today's column by the NYT's new public editor, Margaret Sullivan, shown in a Times photo at right. Here's the good news: she is off to a strong start with her entry on the "false equivalence" debate.

Her predecessor, Arthur Brisbane, asked in a column earlier this year whether the press should be expected to serve as a "fact vigilante." Sullivan answers Yes.

False balance is the journalistic practice of giving equal weight to both sides of a story, regardless of an established truth on one side....

It ought to go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway: Journalists need to make every effort to get beyond the spin and help readers know what to believe, to help them make their way through complicated and contentious subjects.

The more news organizations can state established truths and stand by them, the better off the readership -- and the democracy -- will be.

I'll take this as another positive sign in the long "false equivalence" wars. For a few previous installments, see here, here, here, and here.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/another-step-forward-on-the-post-truth-politics-trail/262433/

[Vincardog]

1. It is true that the press should make every effort to get beyond the spin and help viewers know what

to believe, the fact is that the OWNERS of the press don't want the viewers to see beyond the spin.

Fuck the Corporate owned SnewZ.

[joeybee12]

2. Damn liberal truth!

Facts are also troublsome to teabaggers/

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. As one that frequently parses statements ...

It ought to go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway: Journalists need to make every effort to get beyond the spin and help readers know what to believe, to help them make their way through complicated and contentious subjects.

I reject this proposition ... the media/journal's job is not to "help readers know what to believe"; rather, their role is to publish facts for it's readership/viewers. It's up to the audience to decide what to believe.

[annabanana]

4. decent parse sir . . .

I suspect that your correction is in line with the article's premise.

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. I know ...

but for some media/pundits, the objective is to TELL folks what to believe, rather than merely provide them with facts.