Posted by GC on January 15, 2003 at 14:35:49:
In Reply to: Re: Re: for H.S. band directors posted by Oh golly. on January 15, 2003 at 11:29:33:
In an ideal world, we could all access source materials and know what we are talking about, but we're dependent on outside sources of information. Most of us don't have time to track down and verify even a small fraction of what we hear. We tend to quote the sources that we trust, and we tend to trust people who think like we do. Sloppy reporting, distortions, and outright lies take on a life of their own completely separate from the truth, and even the most outrageous statements can find adherents willing to repeat them (and embellish them) endlessly.
Just as unfortunately, news organizations (and particularly their editorialists) have biases like their readers. Many of them are just as intellectually dishonest as some of their readers. They'll repeat almost anything that matches their own mindset so long as they have a prior source to point to. Some are scrupulous to a fault, but many just want to be mouthpieces for their viewpoints. They couldn't care less about careful attention to the truth; they just want to stir things up, especially among their admirers.
As long as people have complained about bias in the media, no one should be surprised to see it. They should, however, be honest enough to admit that it can occur even in the best of organizations.