It’s called news…
About journalists fact-checking statements made by politicians (especially candidates), Howard Kurtz says:
Whatever their orientation, journalists are the last line of defense against public deception. If they fail to challenge distortions by politicians, they might as well join the stenography pool.
Such fact-checking is hard work for at least two reasons: 1) The reporter must have some understanding of the importance of statements within a political context, and 2) The reporter must track down and verify the facts–always time-consuming and troublesome.
But it is work that must be done and far too often is not done. When fact-checking is left undone, journalists allow distortions to gain persuasive power in civic discourse. People act politically based on these distortions. And this is how nonsense is allowed to become something like reality.
One reason this work is not done as often as it should be: The press seems to be overly sensitive to charges of political bias. It’s quite possible that bias crusaders might complain about the results of fact-checking. Let them yammer. These folks do not seek understanding. They seek partisan advantage.
And here’s one last reason why journalists should fact-check politicians–a reason in addition to the professional ethic of helping make democracy work: It’s news.
If you don’t believe partisan bias is involved, what do you make of this? http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/17/rs.01.html Who decided that GWB “distorts” more than Kerry, and why? When will the press tell us? Are we just supposed to “trust” them? Why should we trust them more than politicians? Aren’t they both spinning?
Both spinning? Yes.
Both spinning equally? Probably not.
We’ll only know after someone (an academic) studies it carefully after the fact. I have may sense of it, but my opinion would be discounted as liberal bias…so we’ll just wait and see.
After you quantitatively decide who is spinning more, then how do you decide who is qualitatively spinning more - more grievously?
Which issue is more important, more intolerant, of spin?
How far from Truth are you?
I didn’t mean to imply that you would, but I do look forward to finding the link to such research here when it becomes available.