They just report news...now you want them to find it too? LA Times Link via Patterico's Pontifications:
A news analysis about the new Iraqi government in Sunday's Section A stated that outgoing administrator L. Paul Bremer III did not give a farewell speech to the country. His spokesman has since said that Bremer taped an address that was given to Iraqi broadcast media. The spokesman said the address was not publicized to the Western news media.
Oh, that explains it all. It wasn't publicized to the Western news media. All these years I've thought it was the media's job to go out and find the news when instead it's the duty of people who are making the news to inform the media.
You know, if the newspapers were talking about me using the same critical tone many have used when reporting on Bremer and Iraq, I wouldn't be eager to do their job for them communicate with them either.
What I understand from this is that the LA Times thinks its job is to serve as a news aggregator. The only original content is the news analysis...because we're all too stupid to form our own opinions about the news.
If the people who are regular newsmakers put out RSS feed the only thing we would need the newspapers for is lining birdcages and housetraining puppies.
We quit taking our local paper about a year ago. The best use I ever got from our paper was using it to protect from spills when I was doing crafts with the kids but I found that old vinyl tablecloths work better (no tears or leaks and no newsprint gets on the "art work") and the tablecloth is reusable.
This all makes me think of Isaac Asimov's Black Widowers short stories. In the stories a group of men invite a guest to present a mystery or puzzle. Most begin with someone from the group asking the guest, "How do you justify your existence?" It's a question the news media might want to consider.
I won't hold my breath.
Posted by marybeth at July 8, 2004 12:24 PM Family , Iraq , News