[Vision2020] Journalistic integrity
Sunil Ramalingam
sunilramalingam@hotmail.com
Tue, 28 Oct 2003 11:47:07 -0800
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>Greg,</P>
<P>Last summer when the NYT was being excoriated for the reporting of Jayson Blair, I thought to myself - well, that's not entirely true, I also blabbed this at friends - 'Why isn't the same criticism directed at Judith Miller's reporting on Hussein and WsMD?' </P>
<P>Seems to me both her reporting as well as the decision of the Times to publish her unconfirmed stories early in the war were abysmal.</P>
<P>Sunil Ramalingam</P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Greg Burton <GBURTON@SLTRIB.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>To: Douglas <DOUGWILS@MOSCOW.COM>, <VISION2020@MOSCOW.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Journalistic integrity
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 12:05:50 -0700
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> I have been reading this thread, albeit probably only the bottom half,
<DIV></DIV>>with some bemusement. So, I pulled up the Spokesman web copy of the article
<DIV></DIV>>by daily news scribe Alexis Bacharach. The web version may differ from the
<DIV></DIV>>print version, or even the version that ran in the DNews because different
<DIV></DIV>>editors often make changes later, even from versions shipped whole over the
<DIV></DIV>>AP news wire.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> That being said, the web version today says "the Christ Church-sponsored
<DIV></DIV>>conference in February during which the authors will discuss history and
<DIV></DIV>>slavery." That's not the exact quote Doug W. writes below. And it makes a
<DIV></DIV>>clear distinction. The Spokesman web version of the DNews story also conveys
<DIV></DIV>>the idea that Sanchez believes Wilson and Wilkins "seek to provide a
<DIV></DIV>>biblical defense of slavery" in their book, not that they will do so at the
<DIV></DIV>>"History Conference." Another important distinction.
<DIV></DIV>> My question is will Wilson and Wilkins discuss slavery or will they not?
<DIV></DIV>> If so, the article is accurate in my mind. Many times, too, a journalist
<DIV></DIV>>will get a tip about something, examine the veracity and go with the
<DIV></DIV>>information if they can confirm it elsewhere. Maybe that happened in this
<DIV></DIV>>instance. If not, there should be a simple correction or clarification.
<DIV></DIV>> Further, the "journalistic integrity" slug to this thread is a red
<DIV></DIV>>herring. The New York Times incident was about integrity and ethics, this
<DIV></DIV>>seems more like quibbling.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>cheers, greg burton
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>on 10/28/03 10:18 AM, Douglas at dougwils@moscow.com wrote:
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> > Visionaries,
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > The more I meditate on this farrago of nonsense, the more curiouser I get.
<DIV></DIV>> > If I understood Bill London's argument correctly, he is saying that the
<DIV></DIV>> > Daily News did not err in saying that our conference is on slavery because
<DIV></DIV>> > I co-wrote a booklet with Steve Wilkins on slavery about seven years ago.
<DIV></DIV>> > This means that the conference is also on baptism, the sacraments, and the
<DIV></DIV>> > visible/invisible church distinction because I did a conference together
<DIV></DIV>> > with Wilkins in 2002 on those very topics. We two must talk about the same
<DIV></DIV>> > thing every time we appear together, musn't we? No, wait, ACTUALLY the
<DIV></DIV>> > conference is about biblical hospitality because Steve wrote a book on that
<DIV></DIV>> > topic that was published by Canon Press, and Canon Press has ties to Christ
<DIV></DIV>> > Church, which I pastor. By this means, the conference is allowed to be
<DIV></DIV>> > about anything except what the conference brochure says that it is about.
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Look, this is not difficult. It is not something that should be allowed to
<DIV></DIV>> > be politicized. Let me quote. The article as it ran in the Statesman said
<DIV></DIV>> > that Sanchez decided to research "the Christ Church-sponsored conference in
<DIV></DIV>> > February that features the authors discussing history and slavery." This is
<DIV></DIV>> > what they call (at real newspapers anyway) a MISTAKE. It is, he explained
<DIV></DIV>> > further, an ERROR. Not wanting to put to fine a point on it, he
<DIV></DIV>> > nevertheless continued to insist that it is ALL GUMMED UP. This is not, as
<DIV></DIV>> > the Daily News muttered into its handkerchief, "incomplete." It is WRONG. A
<DIV></DIV>> > strange concept, I know.
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > The Daily News really needs to start an Accuracy Be Damned column, so that
<DIV></DIV>> > they can reiterate their commitments to earlier mistakes.
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Cordially,
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Douglas Wilson
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > _____________________________________________________
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<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>>
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