Watergate opens the floodgates

The journalistic achievement of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward were of investigative journalism importance. They sought out the truth but more important than that, they acted independently in how they gathered their facts.

They used independent direct sources, such as ‘deep throat’ to get to the root of the truth. They did not depend on investigators to theorize on what had happened. Woodward and Bernstein under the Washington Post single handedly uncovered the Watergate scandal and lead a two man army into Nixon’s Whitehouse; they literally “brought the president to his knees.”

Woodward and Bernstein revitalized the first amendment and the free press togther they re-established the fourth estate’s role in watchdog journalism. Their Watergate pursuit led to a great chain of events, from changes in legislation that monitored political forces to other news organizations joining in, like the NY Times investigative team and the CBS 60 minutes investigative news show.

Through intricate investigative reporting Woodward and Bernstein “known as the dynamic duo” reported solemnly alone on the CIA break in which led the road to a great government conspiracy.


Woodward and Bernstein used the freedom of information act to support their watchdog role, for “only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government”. They revolutionized investigative journalism and established the Washington Post as hard hitting watchdog journalism. Thus this watchdog principle that guided both men reinvented the wheel of gathering and pursuing investigative news.

Discipline of Verification

Journalists first obligation is to the truth...the truth must be sought and facts must be vigorously checked in order to be loyal to it's most important obligation, its citizens.

Walter Lippmann as quoted in "the elements of journalism" said, "it does not matter that the news is not susceptible of mathematical statement. In fact, just because news is complex and slippery good reporting requires the exercise if the highest scientific virtues."

Unlike Edward R. Murrow's era of objectivity in news, something he was firmly against, the scientific method of objectivity does not relate to the aim of the craft but to the discipline.

Bottom line objectivity is in the method not the aim.

The scientific method applies to several principles,

1. Never add anything that was not there.
2. Never deceive the audience.
3. Be as tranparent as possible.
4. Rely on your own original reporting.
5. Exercise humility.

Today journalists rarely practice the objective method in gathering news.

Good Night and Good luck: Murrow hit the nail on the coporate head

Edward R. Murrow played a major role in establishing the way in which television would approach journalism. He unraveled the concept of objectivity and instead handled news coverage with great use of consciousness and unsightliness. “See it now” was television’s first broadcast news show dedicated to important public and controversial issues.

Murrow left no stone unturned while he maintained an open forum for criticism and discussion, something print journalism did not accomplish. No longer were news one-sided recital of facts, Murrow brought intellect and constructive criticism to all newsworthy causes. His attack on McCarthy indeed was the first blow to the end of the McCarthy era but more importantly it was the decisive blow to the transformation of broadcast journalism.

"Good Night and Goodluck" brought the legend back to life, they highlighted the reporter's passion for keeping the public informed. The movie places all of the emphasis on Murrow's most infamous documentary, the "McCarthy show".

Murrow arose out of the "Neutrality Doctrine" and did not believe quality truthful news could be delivered out of objectivity. The movie really put this point into forefront. Most of all the movie showed Murrow at his finest hour, his speech in front of the Association of Journalists, warning of the effects commercial profits will have on public broadcasting.

Murrow was truly ahead of his time, he predicted the reality we live in today.

The American public today is informed by network corporate owned news. Just as Murrow feared , the truth is being filtered, and the truth my friends is more unreliable and scarce than ever. Edward R. Murrow indeed hit the nail on the head...

The McCarthy era: O'Rielly era(is McCarthyism back?)

McCarthyism epitomizes an, that America was limited to one-sided print reports, and unchecked facts were published as the news.

In mightier than the sword we learned the state in which news were gathered and delivered to the public. During the McCarthy era political news was not of importance or for that matter investigated. News wires were the medium in which to obtain the latest news.

McCarthy was a master at exploiting this. He made sure to make his communist accusations at the exact hour of the day that news wires services had to turn in their deadlines. Thus the news that was sent out to the public tended to be one-sided stories that were un-checked and flat out sensationalized.

The newswires during the 1950’s had a big influence on the way news were broadcasted in radio, practically all the news were coming from the newswires. McCarthy also exploited journalism’s concept of objectivity, for news at that time merely recited facts and unconscientious news reporting.

Is amazing and pretty scary how O’Reilly is a blatant resemblance of the late senator. His far right rants and methods in interviewing guest epitomizes McCarthy during his hay day.

O’Reilly’s main tactic is to force his right winged, bias point of view in front of anybody who opposes him. The way he yells at his guests and never lets them get a word in edge wise, is parallel to McCarthy. O’Reilly like McCarthy is master at using the defective media to get his propaganda attention. Anybody who is aware of McCarthy well knows, that O’Reilly is his living reincarnation.

But there's only muck to rake

Muckraking truly marked the most important time in journalistic history. According to Streitmatter it was the “golden age of reform”. Post WWII America’s economy expanded with its uses of offices, factories and manpower thus became a “country of the corporation, for the corporation, by the corporation.” Government developed laissez-faire policies that increased corporate profits while by-passing the common masses. Among these masses arose voices that would give perspective and dig deep into the abuses of government and corporate powers. Dozens of journalistic magazines through great writings and anecdotes gave voices to the peril and depraved.

The U.S. corporate sector was infected with corruption and it took intense investigative measures to bring out the coercion, that government was not willing deploy. President Theodore Roosevelt attacked these journalists for only highlighting the negatives in society, but how else could laws to protect the public have been made. They used the same power of the press that yellow journalism did, instead they benefited society as a whole. Yes they were Muckrakers, but is not their fault that underneath the surface of a capitalist society all there is, is muck, and thank goodness that there were pioneers to rake it.

The lies that led to war, two centuries ago and today

In chapter 5 of “Mightier than the Sword”, the author Rodger Streimatter explores the roots of yellow journalism, a time in American history where the truth was obscure and obsolete over sensationalism. Two pioneers set the stage in 1863 for fictional journalism. Today known as infotainment, this type of news publishing strived to warp the reality of truths, which in return extended over to a larger demographic.

Joseph Pulitzer "once a penniless immigrant" respectively pioneered the era of new journalism. William Randolph Hearst son of Senator came from the other end of the social ladder. Pulitzer's "World" and Hearst’s "Examiner" magazine’s "hammered at injustice while highlighting murder and scandal'. Previously print publications, tailored only to the upper classes while ignoring the disgruntled masses. Newspapers were infected with old order jargon and inaccurate, careless rants.

According to Streitmatter both men became readable magazines, serving the new urban laboring class. From revolutionary sports and women’s articles to hard-hitting, controversial exposes on sweatshops and conditions of city hospitals, both men set the roots for investigative reporting.

At the end of the nineteenth century two men with different backgrounds set out to accomplish the same goal of conquering the new frontier. Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst dominated the era of sensationalistic journalism, and catapulted their circulation profits from 250,000 to 1.25 million.

Furthermore, the two men single handily instigated the United States to declare war on Spain during the Cuban revolution. Their shocking headlines, that was originally intended for the greater good of mankind turned into vicious competition for readership and circulation. They over dramatized everything and distorted the truths, from Spanish soldiers harassing and tormenting Cuban civilians to the implication of Spanish involvement in the explosion of the Maine. With their bitter circulation rivalries, they led the way for American imperialism and journalistic dynamism to come together.

President McKinley attempted to be the voice of reason among the chaos, attributing the explosion to other causes, but in the midst of the darkest period in journalism. Not even the president of the United States could shed some light. Ultimately the sensationalized stories led the country to war with Spain, and cost the lives of over 5,000 soldiers. Yellow journalism proved to be stronger that the three branches in government, the systematic manipulation and dissemination of information prevailed over logic and reason.

It’s amazing to me how sensationalized journalism always seems to prevail over grounded truth. This time in history is a frightening reminder of the media circus that surrounded post 9-11’s supposed war on terrorism. Today we still see how mainstream media overdramatizes issues for private interests and manages to coerce the public with lies and half-analyzed truths.

What’s even more amazing is the power of the news medium and how they can propel an entire nation to sympathize with going to war. You would think we have evolved since the nineteenth century; however our status today is not much different from the yellow journalism era. Both wars were pushed for mere profit and gain, but at the end of it all, it is the people who fall victim of these fabricated realities and follow suit. I like to think of this era the beginning of mainstream media today.

I'm Rubber Your'e Glue...Presidential Debate

Obama and McCain two candidates competing for our nation's commander in chief position.

The two senators went on a head to head combat mission to make sure they were clean of all accusations. However McCain did all the finger pointing while Obama had to accompany every answer with a defense rebuttal...Almost everything that was asked to McCain, he felt a need to point out Obama's flaws...he stayed away from the issues...instead answering with lavish unrealistic promises...(he is the Bush's all over again.)..it is frieghtning to even imagine having another four years of the Bush administration through McCain...Obama tried to remain on topic and wanted to differ himself from the finger pointing McCain was doing...

What I found most disturbing was how McCain kept avoiding the DE-regulation of corporations, Obama argued corporations are the biggest threat to the fair wealth distribution in the United States. McCain just reiterated back to making promises for a bright future.

What I found most alarming about McCain was how he kept referring to ex-President Reagan as his hero. Anyone with a fair grip of American history knows that the late ex-president contributions to our democracy was the begining of the ending of our democracy, sorry McCain if that's not a red flag for a disastrous future I don't know what is.

Blog #4 Bad Journalism #2

Bad journalism comes in many facets, forms and medians, unfortunately for some it is only the educated eyes and ears that can uncover the real truth behind bad journalism...

Journalism; the eyes and ears of a democratic nation...but what happens when the eyes reflect deceitful images and the ears hears nothing but lies. That is exactly the phenomenon that is journalism and the media in the United States today. Once upon a time one could turn to a newspaper and even a television set and rest assure that they were leaving with truthful un-biased information to ponder about. The journalism median was one of prestige and honor, a journalist was someone whom you could trust because you knew your own best interest was at the heart of every news story. Well, today an entire decade into the greatest innovations and we now live in an arbitrary reality. Journalism and media have become just as corrupted as the corporations they strive to please...

The American government whom should be monitored by the free press now does the monitoring of it. They filter everything the American people see, read and hear through manipulation, privatized and conglomerate agendas. There are of course exceptions of some publishers that are true to the journalistic integrity but I will discuss them later, now I will focus on the mis-information merry go-round, ring circus which we continue to be exposed to...Our democratic, constitutional rights for a free, ethical press is vanishing right before our eyes. Our first amendment of a free press is more scarce than ever thanks to bad journalists whom promote the agendas for the powers that be and continue to disease our airways, newspapers with lies and coercion... I prefer images of dreadful truths than images of lovely lies....

Blog#3 Bad Journalism #1

I have read several articles pertaining to a particular case I posted on my first Blog about the kidnapped victim Shawn Hornbeck. This case highlights how the media took a child victim and made a mockery out of his life story.

Shawn Horbeck was found at the age of fifteen by the FBI four years after having been abducted by a child predator. Shawn was held captive by Micheal Delvin and and during his captivity he presumed a normal life for four years. After being rescued the question that the media chose to place all their energy and focus on was "why didn't Shawn escape?" This question gave the hounding media fuel to orchestrate terrible unjust and extreme unethical journalism at the price of an innocent child whom at the hands of the media was made a victim over and over again.

The phenomenon of bad journalism is really highlighted in this case, they lacked essential elements in practicing ethical journalism one of which is to approach such a story with great sensitivity and caution. O'Reilly is a prime example of terrible classless media that should not be referred to or even entertained. However the New York Post did not make it any better. They brought even more attention and speculation around the question of Shawn's "voluntary captivity", as if the victim has not gone through a traumatizing four year ordeal, here comes the NY Post advertising something that happened to be a coincidence and completely irrelevant to the case... they tried to psychologically attach Shawn's circumstances to Shawn's deceased father's child molesting past.

The Post did nothing to sympathize with the victim and intentionally left an air of doubt about Shawn's abduction. They even made it relevant to mention the kidnapper's passion for video games and how the child enjoyed playing for hours. According to the blog O'Reilly and The Post share the same parent company NewsCorp. It is not a coincidence that they would publish articles to back up O'Reilly's ignorant assumptions and vice versa.

What makes this case incredible bad journalism by NewsCorp reporters, is their abundant disregard for the journalistic code of ethics. A child was taken from everything he loved and forced to live a life of abuse and sexual torture all of which is bound to come with psychological consequences. Showing very little compassion, zero sensibility to a sensitive vulnerable child, they demonstrated how invaluble the code of ethics as well as the elements of journalism are for today's newspapers and televised media. Through O'Reilly's mindless jargon, the newspaper's uneducated coverage, the child was made to be a victim all over again via bad unethical journalism.

NewsCorps' people (I will not refer to then as journalist's) did not focus on the facts of the case, or the truth. The New York Post and O'Reilly are the epidemy of bias, un-truthful and frighteningly over-exposed journalism.

Iran President @ Columbia: who did it best?

Washington Post approach of president Mahmoud's visit to Columbia was very objective . Their entire article simply quoted the entire event word by word, from the infamous introduction given by the university's president Lee Bollinger to president Mahmoud Ahmadenijad's controversial speech.

The Washington post did not have any opinion's or third party quotes it simply stated the facts as it took place. This in my opinion is good journalism, the kind that one can refer to when establishing an individual and independent outtake on such an event.

Newsweek's approach more subjective for their title begins with "The Iranian president drew cheers and boos from his Ivy League audience. But the university's Lee Bollinger may have been the real scene-stealer during the controversial visit." They put much emphasis on the president's introductory speech and focused on the reasoning behind the president's out lash to Ahmadenijad.

NewsWeek had a point of view and what seemed to be a bias one. They geared towards keeping the reader entertained by the controversial aspect of the event. They highlighted the comments made by Ahmadenijad, like the holocaust being a theory and the no homosexuals in his country comment. However they did say that the audience reacted with mixed responses booing and cheering at times which indicated some impartial pontential.

Overall Newsweek did do a good job at covering the events , quoting comments made from spectators at the event. However the Washington Post whom took a complete impartial approach, chose to stick to the actual speech, which in my opinion is good unequivocated journalism.

Shawn Hornbeck

CBS aired a 48 hour interview with the child victim Shawn Hornbeck who was kidnapped one afternoon while riding his bike down a dirt road a few miles from his home. The kidnapper Michael Delvin kept Shawn for 4 years, except during the four years Shawn was not physically held by chains or confined in the kidnapper's apartment. The victim was able to live a so-called normal life and even made friends.


The question is why didn't Shawn presented with so many opportunities free himself from his captivity? I recently saw the "O'Reilly factor" on the Shawn Hornbeck case. O'Reilly sinisterly declared on air that the victim must have enjoyed his captivity! Then he ranted on about how he didn’t buy into the child possibly suffering from Stockholm's syndrome.

In Shawn's case Stockholm's syndrome is very possible in fact very logical. Stockholm's syndrome is when a victim living in isolation however tormented and abused will develop sympathy for their captor, when given tokens of love and showed some kindness. This mentality is sort of warped and makes sense in my opinion in Shawn's case. He begged for his life the first night he was abducted and pleaded with the kidnapper, not to kill him…The child did not see another way out…he felt kidnapper Delvin had the power over him... and this sort of loyalty that Shawn developed to stay around "willingly" was the child's only way of survival.

Shawn Hornbeck was merely only 11 years old at the time he was taken away and I can't imagine the horrendous terror he underwent at the hands of such an abuser...Shawn did what he had to do to survive...he submitted to the kidnappers will and survived...he was kidnapped at a very tender impressionable age...only he understands his own pain...as much as the media and O'Reilly tries to take a twisted shallow approach in reasoning with the facts of the Hornbeck case, the truth remains Shawn Hornbeck is a survivor and unfortunately the media especially O'Reilly (why is this guy on the air?) has done a terrible injustice in exploiting this case.