<a href ="http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/24/mccain_letters/index.html"> Ghostwriting for McCain. </a>
Posted by tgl on 2008-09-26 12:45:00 +0000
Even more surprising/illuminating than the fake letters, is that we're outsourcing our political campaigns, too.
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This reminds me, every time I read a Globe letter writer complain about:
A) bias of the Op/Ed page
B) greater number of pro-Obama/anti-McCain/anti-Palin letters
People realize the Op/Ed page is not news. Right? They should read the other 15-20 pages first... then the Op/Ed. The Globe/NYTimes/WSJ/etc. do a fine job of reporting the news straight and anything that ventures into opinion is pretty well demarcated.
Maybe there are just that many more pro-Obama letter writers! It's Massachusetts for godsakes... should they reprint the one pro-McCain letter 5 times so the letters page will be "fair and balanced"?
Rant out...
Posted by mahatma chani on 2008-09-26 16:26:10 +0000
Nope... they shouldn't run the same letter five times. But, if it's a good Op/Ed editor (overseer?) doing their job, they'd make sure to have at least a little balance on the page. Certainly there's enough wire editorials representing both parties.
Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-09-26 17:08:29 +0000
Let us not confuse balance with objectivity.
Posted by MF DU on 2008-09-26 17:18:40 +0000
I can't remember the study, but it is repeated on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_street_journal#News_and_opinion">Wikipedia </a> (so it must be true)that if you were to take away all the editorial content from WSJ, it actually slightly tips towards the left.
Posted by tgl on 2008-09-26 17:45:06 +0000
A good Op/Ed editor reflects the views of the publisher and parent company. Or chooses the mix that maximizes sales. Op/Ed is opinion and not journalism. Balanced also implies two sides, which isn't always the case.
Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-09-26 17:46:57 +0000
It's odd how often I hear Republicans claim that almost all news outlets have liberal leanings, as if the reporting of facts has a bias.
Stating that Democratic Rep. Barney Frank paid for gay sex does not make a newspaper lean to the right. Stating that Republican Sen. Ted Stevens is being tried for corruption charges does not make a paper lean left.
Posted by mahatma chani on 2008-09-26 17:57:34 +0000
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This reminds me, every time I read a Globe letter writer complain about:
A) bias of the Op/Ed page
B) greater number of pro-Obama/anti-McCain/anti-Palin letters
People realize the Op/Ed page is not news. Right? They should read the other 15-20 pages first... then the Op/Ed. The Globe/NYTimes/WSJ/etc. do a fine job of reporting the news straight and anything that ventures into opinion is pretty well demarcated.
Maybe there are just that many more pro-Obama letter writers! It's Massachusetts for godsakes... should they reprint the one pro-McCain letter 5 times so the letters page will be "fair and balanced"?
Rant out...
Stating that Democratic Rep. Barney Frank paid for gay sex does not make a newspaper lean to the right. Stating that Republican Sen. Ted Stevens is being tried for corruption charges does not make a paper lean left.