The American media - what happened to journalism?

Apparently, it is nowadays the norm in American media to go for the lowest
denominator and keep your eyes fixed on sales figures rather than look back
on what was taught while at the school of journalism.

From today's coverage of the press during the presidential election
campaigns, it seems quite obvious that McCain's campaign gets away with
blatant lies, unchallenged by the press -

* The McCain campaing daily repeats the story about Sarah Palin opposing
and stopping funding to a bridge project. It's been clearly dcoumented that
she supported the project and that Congress stopped it. Not challenged by
the press.

* Obama Baracks remark about pigs and lipstick was directed against the
McCain economical politics, not against Palin. And McCain himself has used,
documented on video, the very same remark, Yet, the press does not
challenge the McCain campaign on this.

But what they do do is asking Obama for the umpteenth time, even though
they clearly know the answer, whether he's a muslim. So he's continuously
challenged on all topics all the time.

This kind of behaviour by the press is making CNN editor (and known
conservative, apparently) Mark Halperin "ashamed about our profession." He
continues that it the press challenged the McCain campaing on the bridge
issue, they would have to pack it up - because they have nothing to defend
their standpoint with. But the press just doesn't...

John Marshall, prize winning journalist, says on his Talking Points Memo
blog that the McCain campaign is based to a large extent on regular lies.
But he's given up hope that the big media companies will start doing
critical, challenging journalism versus the McCain campaign.

Hey, all you guys (and gals) in the American press - would you please take
a look at yourself in the mirror and think back on what they taught you
when you became a journalist? By all means challenge the Obama campaign.
But please challenge the McCain campaign precisely as much.

(source: Danish newspaper Berlingske's newsfeed)

Posted by email from Ole's posterous