Real journalism
Written by Michael Miller | Editor in Chief | mmiller@toledofreepress.comA poster using the pseudonym “Wolfman” asked these questions Jan. 16 in a Swampbubbles post headlined “The Propaganda Media State”: “Does a WSPD or a Toledo Free Press have the resources to do real journalism?” and “Should journalism get the next government bailout?”
Wolfman did not define specifics on “real journalism” but provided a link to a PBS.org video, “Saving American Journalism,” in which “NOW” host David Brancaccio interviews professor Bob McChesney and journalist John Nichols about the future of newspapers. The two men have authored a book, “The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again,” that raises the question about the government stepping in with tax money to save newspapers.
The two men correctly point out that massive layoffs and closings have reduced the work force and seriously hampered print media’s ability to devote resources to investigative stories. They adopt a more alarmist voice when describing what they view as the possible result of this lack of print journalism: a “Propaganda Media State” in which there are fewer independent journalistic voices. They posit that will create a void that would be filled by government and large corporations. They suggest that the move from newsrooms to Internet information will result in fewer checks and balances and a dearth of quality control.
There is no question that some blog sites are merely gossip mills or news release stenographers, but are people that easily confused and unable to distinguish news from opinion and propaganda?
McChesney and Nichols advocate government bailouts for newspapers. They refer to their philosophy as “American as apple pie” and point to examples from the Founding Fathers era in which mailing rates were suspended and other subsidies were granted newspapers to ensure the dissemination of information. They estimate it could take up to $30 billion a year for the government to keep American newspapers afloat.
I rarely respond to posts on blogs or news sites. Not because I don’t believe in them, because I do; I am an avid follower of more than a dozen local blogs and news sites. But I have learned the hard way that there is little to gain by trying to join a thread of conversation as an official representative of Toledo Free Press. For every civil and intelligent rejoinder, there are a half-dozen uninformed snipers who just want to insult and stir up trouble. If it were criticism, even criticism I judged unfair, I would be cool with it, but it puts me in a box in which I have to be professional and moderate under my real name while jousting with anonymous hit-and-run posters who have no interest in fair conversation.
Wolfman’s post caught my attention for a number of reasons, so I responded, hopefully not too defensively, that while Toledo Free Press cannot send reporters to Haiti or the Olympics, we are able to go toe-to-toe with the big boys on the stories we do cover. Toledo Free Press owned the initial coverage of the Jan. 15 state auditor’s work notes on the TPS Investigate-gate story; hours before any other media source, Toledo Free Press posted several updates and comments from some of the people involved. The majority of that research was done by Toledo Free Press contributor Lisa Renee Ward, who is the area’s leading news blogger but who is not, she is the first to say, a trained journalist.
In response to the question of whether this newspaper can provide “real journalism,” I posted an unavoidably defensive list of 16 industry awards for reporting and writing we have received since 2008.
There is no argument against the thesis that publications such as Toledo Free Press and Web sites such as Ward’s Glass City Jungle can and do provide “real journalism.” There is a legitimate question about the scope and depth of that journalism. Many people in the established traditional media bristle at the notion that small outlets such as Toledo Free Press or bloggers like Ward can compete with them. They scoff at the notion that an understaffed newsroom or a lone at-home blogger can dig as deep and write as professionally as they do. Organizations like Toledo Free Press and Glass City Jungle have to practice selective journalism in terms of the quantity of stories we cover, but there is no sacrifice in quality, although old-school journalists maintain a distinct elitism about these news sources.
That is just one reason why traditional media, specifically daily newspapers, are a dead business model lurching along, animated only by the fading momentum of tradition and the impetus of their own bloated corpses.
Wolfman apparently looks to The Blade as a source of “real journalism,” but anyone who is paying attention knows that newspaper produces occasionally outrageous examples of jaundiced reporting and writing, often committed by journalists with degrees from some of the most prestigious programs in the country. Is one shady monolith of “real journalism” preferable to a series of smaller, more accountable news sources that report fewer stories but cover them with more neutrality and collectively cover the same ground as the monolith?
The Internet has democratized journalism, to the benefit of readers and the detriment of many who earned journalism degrees and make their living. That’s a harsh reality to deal with, but the marketplace will determine future sources of news, not the old-school boys desperately clinging to an era of monopoly from 25 years ago, and definitely not the government and taxpayer dollars.
Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.
“…but are people that easily confused and unable to distinguish news from opinion and propaganda?”
Two words, Death Panels.
This comment was posted on January 22nd, 2010 at 11:12 amDear Mike, It is impossible to satisfy a liberal…without question . The former U.S.S.R., was EXACTLY what they truly desired only, to be COMPLETELY SHOCKED, at it’s whimpering demise.
Leftist’s , have no successes, ZERO, in all of human history to point to and yet, their ” COMMAND ECONOMICS and TOTAL HUMAN CONTROL “, is forever their miserable desire for all of us.
The reason is simple, liberals are smarter than everyone else, their life experiences are more worthy than others, and their smarmy characters do not allow for edification or correction ,even unto DEATH !
And, they will gladly tell you so, with a smugness befitting the Devil, his-self. That’s why they couldn’t ever even ONCE, answer a simply question put to them like, “how many Fortune 500 companies called Toledo, home before Kapturd, invaded and destroyed them “?
Besides,anonymous posters are like restroom wall scribes…repeaters on nonsense and nothing more.
This comment was posted on January 22nd, 2010 at 11:55 am“Are people that easily confused and unable to distinguish news from opinion and propaganda?” I would answer yes. Most people are busy with their daily lives and tune in to the local electronic media for short periods of time. Instead of taking the time to read newsprint they listen to opinionated “entertainers” that inform the listener of their specific ideology. We see this in the rise of cable news and AM talk radio. These entertainers are now confused with true journalism and have marketed to an angry audience selling them wares of mayhem. Will Americans wake up to the fact they are being used for marketing? You tell me!
This comment was posted on January 24th, 2010 at 12:43 amThe Editor In Chief, here, puts fingers to keyboard to write about about comments made a water cooler type site, about a writers opinions about the local media.
Is there a point?
People have opinions about everything and anything.
Maybe its time to focus on the news, while the TV media steals the limelight on the pressing news, council members continually missing meetings, city fiscal mess, higher taxes being proposed, etc., and let people have their opinions.
The Toledo Free Press, like others will be judged and judged and judged and like others will succeed or fail all on its own.
This comment was posted on January 24th, 2010 at 11:53 amBail out? No. What is happening is a natural evolution. It has to play itself out, for good or ill.
This comment was posted on January 24th, 2010 at 3:43 pmObjective journalism is a myth, proven to me when Cronkite dropped his glasses after telling us Kennedy was dead. It’s not humanly possible to be completely objective.
That having been said, the inmates are running the asylum. What little objective journalism still exists in any format is immediately jumped on by the loudest kooks on both sides of any debate. I think that leads to more reporting on octomoms and balloon boys and less on news of real importance.
Right now, a lot of “news sources” really are the loud nutjobs. I’m hoping in the future more people will demand actual information, so they can make up their own minds.
And I hope Mr. Miller and his employees are a part of that future! They seem to be trying!
If it isn’t liberal, Mainstream Media, journalism, then the wolfman is against it.
This comment was posted on January 24th, 2010 at 9:39 pmAnd, he ( any liberal )cannot answer simple questions as to WHY , liberalism fails in everything it attempts ?
This comment was posted on January 25th, 2010 at 12:04 pmExcept, to launch into personal attacks. Liberal experiments all over AmeriKa, are disasterous failures and they want more, more, MORE , of it !!??
INSANELIBERALISM, is a viral infection that kills the unborn and NOW, wants to go after the elderly.
One can only hope that wolfieweirdo, is elderly !!!
I am very confused about all of the “liberal” talk happening here. Ironically when I think of the question are people unable to distinguish news from opinion and propaganda, I think of Fox News.
This comment was posted on January 26th, 2010 at 11:03 amThis article was well done for more than reason, possibly the first being to simply highlight the plight of journalism in America today. Does that mean that journalists should give up or expect handouts? No, but it does mean that those who aren’t willing to adapt and grow in a new direction, like Toledo Free Press, will become extinct; and rightly so.
Fox News and T.F.P., is some how the problem ? Bizarre and quite inaccurate…look at Fox’s, viewer numbers compared to all the other cable stations and you’ll find that CNN and the others COMBINED, do not approach Fox’s numbers…real American’s, can differentiate LIES from liberal pap, all of the time.
This comment was posted on January 26th, 2010 at 1:12 pmHow’s your account doing in the bancrupt “Hope and Change Savings and Loan” , doing ?
There is news on Fox News. And then there are the entertainers and people who offer opinion and they repeat and repeat the same things over and over and over again and in time, the oft repeated statements are held to be “news”.
We have a family member, in law, that swears that anything the commentators says is “news”, and sees no need to cross reference the statement against other sources.
C’est la vie
This comment was posted on January 26th, 2010 at 2:00 pmAw Ty… you can do better than that. C’mon Ty… come here boy. Give it another try Ty…. come here, sonny. C’mon, c’mon. Here boy!
This comment was posted on January 27th, 2010 at 11:08 amDear planzero or Martha Coakley, who ever you are, how many Fortune 500 companies called Little Detroit home, before Kapturd invaded, DESTROYING any reason to stay here ?
You do not know what a Fortune 500 company is ? Now THAT’S , something I do believe…
This comment was posted on January 27th, 2010 at 2:20 pmPlease Ty the suspense is killing me. How many Fortune 500 companies left town? And how many of those were tied to our declining auto industries? And how many left as a strategic move to dodge the responsibilities to their current and future retired workers? Kinda reminds me of that grocery store chain that sold the souls of their employees a few years back.
And to keep on topic this newspaper this newspaper definitely tries to satisfy a certain group of readers,it’s as plain as the nose on my face.
This comment was posted on January 28th, 2010 at 12:42 amDear Mr. Kapturd,Mr. Finkenstine, or who ever you are,
I’ll give you one half of the answer….only ONE REMAINS !!
Which is 1/13 of what was here in 1982…
Extra points for the correct answer of the other half…
And , you vote for this do nothing pol ?
This comment was posted on January 28th, 2010 at 3:03 pmIt’s her movie star status that must have you enamored into voting for failure, time after time after time, etc…. madness !
Exactly how did one Congresswoman single-handedly drive out 12 powerful companies? Wow,she is one mean whamma jamma. No wonder she frightens you.
Regardless,with the turmoil in the Repugnican party there wont be any corporate welfare handouts coming to Little Detroit anytime soon.
And the meds must be working,you are acting a little more civilized.
This comment was posted on January 28th, 2010 at 8:34 pmDear Mr. Kapturd ,Mr.McCloskey, Sandy Eisenburg, or who ever you are, She has voted to increase income taxes, real estate taxes, inventory taxes, payroll taxes , estate taxes, gasoline taxes, oil taxes, energy taxes, electricity taxes, cable taxes,corporate taxes ,etc…all since 1982 !
A nonstop assault on our FREEDOMS , by someone whose done NOTHING , absolutely NOTHING , for her ‘ home town” !
And , AND, wants to tax sugar in pop, health care benefits DEEMED to rich by her and her psychotic fellow travelers, internet taxes,and more taxes than I care to type. That along with allowing business killing regulations to control every aspect of business, these profit hating jackasses deem ” reasonable “.
And all to the very peculiar happiness of YOU…hey , is the cheese in the mouse trap…Free ?
This comment was posted on January 29th, 2010 at 5:56 pmDear Sir,
This comment was posted on February 12th, 2010 at 9:38 amI use a very simple standard when judging the integrity of a writers words, attribution. It does not matter how big a “news” organization is, or what means by which it is deliverered, having a real name at the end of the article tells me that someone has the guts to say what they believe and are willing to defend their words publically. There are several local publications that clearly fail this standard on their pages of opinion and “hard” news lead articles.
When re-reading the comments on THIS thread, which ones strike YOU as more rational, the ones with first and last names? Or the few with makey – uppy names?