The Laughing Wolf

The Rules Of Journalism

Despite how it may seem to many a viewer, journalism in the U.S. is supposed to follow certain basic rules. There is supposed to be fairness, balance, impartiality, and more. One of the cardinal rules of journalism is the appearance of the conflict of interest.

Conflict of interest means that the reporter and/or the news outlet are supposed to be beholden to no one, so that they can provide the truth without fear of reprisal or obligation to anyone. For this reason, news organizations take pains to separate themselves from advertising operations, entertainment divisions, and other potential sources of conflict. It is also why many organizations forbid reporters from even partaking of free food and drink at events. Doing so leads down the slipper slope into conflict of interest.

By keeping to strict rules, and acknowledging when there is even the slightest potential for, or appearance of, conflict of interest, the public benefits. It provides you with the knowledge and framework to evaluate and interpret the news.

I bring this up because of an outstanding article at Winds of Change entitled Saddam's Archives: Iraq's Media War. It was an article that caused me to go “I wish I had written that.” But it also pointed out to me the difference between journalism as it is supposed to be in the West, and how it is in the rest of the world. It also points out a double, or even triple, standard by The Media.

In short, the article documents how Iraq bought and paid for favorable coverage in Middle Eastern media. This may well have extended beyond the Middle East, since not even all Western nations subscribe to the strict rules of journalism. This means that the news that got out was biased, and that the people who got it at home and abroad had no way of knowing that they, and the news, were being manipulated.

This gave Iraq, and Saddam’s regime an unfair advantage. They were able to control and manipulate the news in ways that those playing by the rules, like the Coalition, could not. It means that members of the media, lied in ways that go beyond mere bias.

This should not be a surprise to anyone, but it is not something I expect to see covered in the U.S. by The Media. For it hits too close to home to be truly covered. Not only would it force an assessment of their own coverage and potential biases, it would force them to examine how they get the news from the rest of the world.

The Media tends to publicly posture that all journalists the world over are the same, adhere to the same ideals and goals, and follow the same rules of the game. This despite decades of proof otherwise. This double standard has resulted in some of the worst reporting to be seen.

During the cold war, The Media took reports from “media” in the Soviet Union and satellite countries and ran it as straight news, or, worse yet, stating that information from the U.S. Government was on the same level or even below. There has been the same unquestioning, indeed eager, acceptance of reports from sources and media in the Middle East and elsewhere despite readily apparent bias. It was accepted even though The Media had to know that most of the rest of the world does not play the game the way they do.

Indeed, if you go talk to other media people around the world, citizens in other countries, and sources in other governments, they will tell you that they are not playing by the rules. That only a fool would play by them and give up such an advantage. They will even tell you that we do it to, and that obviously we put up the rules as a sham, a polite fiction just like a lot of treaties hide things nicely so people can do what they want.

On some level, members of The Media know this, even if it is not acknowledged. While I doubt that many of them would refer to foreign media as Wogs, that is exactly the attitude many have towards them. That they don’t understand, they don’t live up, but that is not their fault. They can’t help it. This triple standard is why media elsewhere is not likely to change anytime soon. It may also be why The Media is not in full hue and cry over the recent jailings in Cuba by Castro of journalists and others. It may be why others elsewhere do not get the push they should. They can’t help it, after all, they are just wogs reacting in a justifiable manner to the imperialism of the U.S.

What is needed is the elimination of the different standards. If we are to uphold some noble and needed goals, then we need to uphold them. We need to force the introspection in The Media; and they, in turn, need to force other media around the world to uphold the same standards. If those people do not, then all their information needs to be presented with notices so that it can be judged for what it is, not what we want it to be.

A free and honest press is essential for the preservation of freedom and liberty for all. Not just here, but abroad. Make it so.

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