The chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) has openly criticised journalists at the ABC for presenting a biased picture of events, particularly in response to global warming. The chairman was attacked for his comments by those who consider his statements an attack of journalistic independence. The problem of course is that its all too easy to use the threat of journalistic integrity as a basis to condemn those who might be critical of your views. Isn't anyone therefore biased for expressing the view that is not the same as journalists.
At the end of the day, what is not important is whether journalists are independent or not, but whether they are reasonable or not. If journalists and other professionals have the flexibility to be independent, but the flexibility to be incompetent or indulgent, then one would sooner educate them to the facts. Does that require coercion? No. It requires accountability and monitoring of media standards.
A bigger problem arises when agencies like the Australian Media Complaints Commission ceases to be a defender of objectivity and starts to be a defender of socialistic causes. My obser vation of the types of complaints upheld by the NZ media complaints commission is that they not willing to act on issues of objectivity in media, but they will act against the networks when their journalists expose the public to unfair or unreasonable exposure or vulnerability. Whilst I applaud these measures, a respect for facts would be a greater value, when it comes to the actual content of media. See my early post on NZ greenhouse reporting.
For more information on the ABC chairman's comments on ABC media - see this article. This article of course draws attention to the lack of scientific knowledge of media journalists as well as their lack of critical thinking skills.
------------------------------------------------At the end of the day, what is not important is whether journalists are independent or not, but whether they are reasonable or not. If journalists and other professionals have the flexibility to be independent, but the flexibility to be incompetent or indulgent, then one would sooner educate them to the facts. Does that require coercion? No. It requires accountability and monitoring of media standards.
A bigger problem arises when agencies like the Australian Media Complaints Commission ceases to be a defender of objectivity and starts to be a defender of socialistic causes. My obser vation of the types of complaints upheld by the NZ media complaints commission is that they not willing to act on issues of objectivity in media, but they will act against the networks when their journalists expose the public to unfair or unreasonable exposure or vulnerability. Whilst I applaud these measures, a respect for facts would be a greater value, when it comes to the actual content of media. See my early post on NZ greenhouse reporting.
For more information on the ABC chairman's comments on ABC media - see this article. This article of course draws attention to the lack of scientific knowledge of media journalists as well as their lack of critical thinking skills.
Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com
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