Laughing Wolf
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Into The Light: AG
Well, they say these things run in threes, and I am afriad that in this case I am afraid this may be true. A great-aunt of mine, a strong figure in the family, went into the light today. It was not unexpected, and a blessing given all. May the light have welcomed her home, and may it light and warm the way for those she left behind.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Some Thoughts On Intelligence: Mores
Before life handed me enough to make a fortune in Nashville could I but set it to music, I had started a post on intelligence gathering and analysis. A precursor post is here. At the risk of getting ahead of myself, some of the comments to this post provide a timely point for discussing what is perhaps the largest problem with, and most difficult aspect of, intelligence analysis: mores.
Mores often are defined as some variation of the customs and conventions that make up a society and allow a person to function within them. To my mind, the best definition I have heard is that they are the blinders we wear as a result of living in a particular culture.
It is a very complex and fascinating subject, for it is something most seldom stop to consider. Each of us is shaped by the country in which we grow up, for each has its own unique history and social makeup. Each of us is shaped by the region, city, or other location as well as the unique social mix that is the family or group in which we are raised. As we grow up, we tend to take certain things as “gospel” in that certain assumptions, outlooks, stories, and more are such a part of our life that we accept them without question.
Such core beliefs shape our lives and our methods of thought in ways much more subtle than mere bias. These beliefs shape the way we process and interpret the data that comes at us in life on a level well below conscious thought. It is part and parcel of the entirely unreasonable, yet natural, human assumption that everyone thinks as we do.
Yet, not everyone does think as we do. Even within the United States, there is a large variance in the mores of people raised in different areas or ethnic and cultural groups. Someone raised on a farm who is used to dealing with animals, butchering them, helping raise them, etc. is going to have a different set of mores from someone born and raised in downtown Chicago. They are going to have very different frames of reference, and one of the early purposes of education/mass education was to provide a common frame of reference so that people from different backgrounds could communicate effectively. This also served to add a new layer into the mores that shaped the people.
From an intelligence standpoint (and political as well), is the fact that we all tend to assume on that deep level that everyone thinks and believes as do we. Some of the worst analysis of events comes from those who insist on presenting analysis based on this assumption, particularly if their mores are extreme even for their culture.
When a majority of people involved with doing some form of analysis all have similar backgrounds and beliefs, be it called corporate culture or sheer institutional inbreeding, the result is that any analysis and interpretation will be shaped by the common mores no matter the internal checks and balances designed to prevent such. It doesn’t matter if it is an intelligence agency or a newsroom: when all have very similar or same mores (beliefs, training, instillation of corporate culture), there literally is no way to avoid skewing the results because the underlying unconscious assumptions are so similar.
An obvious solution is, of course, to bring people who don’t share that tradition. Be it outsiders coming into an institution, or bringing in people from the culture/region/etc. being studied, it is a great way to get a different set of ideas and interpretations. The problem with intelligence can be, however, that such people have an axe or three to grind. They may be people who detest the current regime in the area, which will skew their analysis. They may be reluctant, the people who left on a matter of principle but still love their country, people, and friends—a thing that will also skew thier perceptions. They may also fall prey to the very human trap of not providing complete translation or context because of the fear that doing so may not measure up to the mores and social conventions of the country/organization doing the research. They may be plants put in place to deliberately skew things through false information and deliberately wrong analysis. Finally, they too are constrained by their mores in their analysis.
Another obvious solution is to have a mixture of sources for doing translation, analysis, and interpretation, so that each effectively checks the other. The problem lies in the fact that any such mixture then has to go through the institutional process. For this reason, more than one administration has made use of what Tom Clancy referred to as a “Backstop” program to get an outside/independent source of information and analysis. Of course, that does no good if any or all analysis and recommendations are rejected because it conflicts with the institutional mores of an administration. A study of events/history of the challenges inherent in the collapse of the Soviet Union and rise of the Russian Federation, particularly looking at the time of the tanks and Yeltsin’s stand, is a prime example of this.
A staple of Hollywood and of literary potboilers is the individual who has not only gotten the data, but analyzed what it really means, yet is thwarted in efforts to head off disaster by evil types who reject the data and/or analysis out of hand. From the civilian/military analyst who detects the impending attack to the researcher who detects the next major natural disaster but is ignored or actively suppressed, it is a staple of entertainment. So prevalent is this meme that it has become a part of our culture and even shapes our mores. This has reached the point that there is a collective tendency to try to force people and events to fit it, rather than to simply accept that events are much different and more complex (Plame being a good example). This is not just an American problem, but affects countries and institutions worldwide, and is the root cause of many serious diplomatic and military miscalculations.
One of the hardest things for any analyst to do is to make a conscious effort to set aside their mores. It means studying the situation, the data, and the societal context in which they reside. The short version is to think like the enemy, which can have its own perils. There are those who have done so, and ended up converting to the other side. There are those who have done so and in so doing damaged their ability to work within the mores of their own culture. Yet, to truly analyze and understand any event in the world, be it domestic politics or enemy actions and intentions, we must at least attempt to make the leap to think outside ourselves and our mores. For if we do not, any analysis, interpretation, and action we take will be tragically and fatally flawed.
The information age and the blogosphere offer a strong ray of hope in this area. Take a look at these comments again. In my opinion, some have that tragic flaw, but it is not my opinion of such that matters. What matters is that several informed opinions are there, differing opinions. These have been placed into the marketplace of ideas, and in so doing, a huge step has been taken. While there will be much dreck out there, a lot of good and differing analysis and interpretation is now available for consideration and evaluation. The import of that for critical issues of the day can’t be overstated.
So, a question for you is: can you make a reasonable effort to set aside your cultural blinders and look at the world as unfettered as possible? Or, are you a prisoner of your conscious and unconscious biases? Can you look past these to take a reasoned measure of what is being said and respond in an equally reasoned manner? Or, are you such a prisoner of yourself that you must attack, obfuscate, and avoid reason and facts as ground upon which you dare not tread?
Just some food for thought…
LW
Crossposted at Blackfive
Sunday, November 26, 2006
A Quick Quiz
Interesting result, and thanks to Blogblivion for the quiz:
 | You scored as XI: Justice. The blindfold arbiter weighs the evidence and passes judgement without fear or favour. There can be no appeal.Justice is not necessarily the same as Law. True justice seeks out the spirit of the law, not just its letter. If a law is bad then true Justice will set that law aside. This is the sacred responsibility of those given the power to judge. If well aspected in a Tarot reading, this card can indicate settlement of disputes, the achievement of a just outcome. If badly aspected this card can indicate corruption and failure of justice.
Which Major Arcana Tarot Card Are You? created with QuizFarm.com |
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Life As A Country Song: Short Version
Okay, not much in a while but the short version of the bad country song that has been life includes a refrigerator that decided to heat, a broken tooth, lots of work, car repair, the last of the major visits to the vet by Jenny, and efforts to winterize the lair. All is good, just taking time to catch back up.
LW
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Send Single Malt
Balvenie single-barrel, Highland Park, heck, almost any Speyside or Highland whisky would be good… More soon.
LW
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Good Ol’ Harvey
Or is that just plain good OLD Harvey. Four Oh. 4-0 40. The bell tolls. Welcome to the ranks of old farts Harvey, it’s not so bad. Really. Honest. Trust me. *evil wolf grin* Enjoy.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
9-11: Breaths
I’ve written before about remembering, about where I was and what I did that day, a day that defines us one way or another; but, this is not a day for such. I will point out a video or two; but, that is not the vision which I would share with you today. Today, I want you to watch them, and keep them in the back of your mind’s eye. I want you to close your eyes and breathe. That’s right, breathe. Listen. Listen to yourself breathe. Listen to those around you, and if possible listen to them breathe.
Then, I want you to go read Breaths. Read it carefully, read it fully. Don’t just scan the words, don’t start analyzing them as you read, truly read and read for memory and comprehension.
Then, close your eyes, bring up the mind’s eye. Remember, and add to that memory this day the sounds of breathing. The sounds of all those Men, male and female, who rushed to the call; who tried to do all they could to help wherever they were, however they could; and, most especially remember the breaths, and quiet words, at the end that reverberate so loudly this day.
At the Pentagon, at the Towers, remember. Send to the back of your mind the visuals that can overwhelm, and listen as you remember. And breathe.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Rational Discourse and Persuasibility
Originally posted 17 June 2003
Part 4
Though it stands on its own, you can also think of this as the fourth installment of Saving Pvt. Journalism. I have been wanting to do this for some time, as it lies at the heart of the great experiment that is America.
The founding fathers took part in, and encouraged, a concept known as rational discourse. Since there was not the mass entertainment of today to occupy them, there were discussions and presentations held at dinner parties, gatherings at taverns and other public places, and even at theatres. At such times, discussions and news of the latest scientific theories, philosophy, thought, and more were presented, discussed, and considered. Even those who could not read the written word heard, learned, understood, and took part.
The exchange of ideas and information was the heart of the process. Through discussion, those present learned the news, examined the implications of same, and took part in a sometimes vigorous exchange of ideas.
This tied into the very radical idea that this bunch of rich white guys held dear: namely, that individuals were capable of making informed decisions and ruling themselves. This idea, as with the concept of rational discourse, came from Europe and intellectuals and revolutionaries there. There is some debate as to whether the concept of rational discourse as practiced in the New World matched that of the old, but such discussions – while interesting – are largely irrelevant.
What matters is that the idea as practiced here by the founding fathers and those who came before them, became a cornerstone of America. The way it is supposed to work is that news, ideas, and concepts are brought forth on the public stage by one means or another. This is presented to the audience, and from that audience individuals examine, interpret, and discuss. Some individuals do so in a way as to create positions, or presentations on what “it” all means and what it might mean to society. These positions are then debated and discussed, and all who hear, read, or are otherwise exposed to them can formulate their own opinions and act on same.
The key points are and were the presentation of the facts as facts, the discussion of same, the formulation of positions, and the debate and decisions reached through sound consideration of same. It may be thought of as debate on a grand scale, but a key component was rational presentation and rational discussion. Then, as today, it was known that you will never convert an ideologue of any type, and as such extremist positions were more or less excluded by consensus.
As I stated earlier, the exchange of ideas was the heart of the process. The soul of the process was the ability to change minds. It was expected that when presented with facts and information that showed a position to be untenable, that the person presenting it would concede such and change positions. All positions, popular or not, were expected to take part in this process, and abide by this unspoken rule. This was the model followed by many of the founding fathers, and as such became the example held up to the country.
This is a very fine concept, but in practice it can and does fall short. Even in the days of the founding fathers, it was sometimes honored in the breach. I urge you to read some of the writings of Jefferson and others to get a better feel for this.
This form of rhetoric is one with which I was raised and taught. I also quickly learned that it is not terribly well followed today, or any day for that matter. It is difficult, requires not merely thought but thoughtful consideration of ourselves and the world, and it requires effort. You must be knowledgeable, seek more knowledge, take the time to be informed on current events and the like, and have a high-degree of self-honesty.
Yet it was still a core part of my beliefs, but recently there was some discussion by author John Ringo that caught my attention. He recounted and amplified on the concept of persuasibility as presented by former professor and current author John Barnes. Dr. Barnes states categorically that much of his presentation is nothing more than classical rhetoric, but if so it is an excellent summation of same.
It also is a very clear example of what I feel rational discourse to be about. Rather than try to distill it down, I am with his permission going to quote the key points as he presented them to me.
“Where it is: The obligation of persuasibility is a moral and ethical obligation that flows from the enthymeme of reciprocity, which in turn is one of the quasi-logical structures of informal logic. It is therefore itself enthymemic, so it’s more firmly rooted than a mere preference or value (like the rules of baseball, driving on the right, “the Backstreet Boys suck”, “patriotism is good”, “all you need is love") but less so than an empirical law or a mathematical theorem.
What it is: the obligation of persuasibility is the requirement that if you enter into a dialogue with another person or persons, your purpose will be not only to refute their arguments or to convert the arguer, but to consider their arguments as candidates for your own belief. That is, you will not reject the possibility that it may be your mind, rather than theirs, that needs changing; or in utilitarian terms, the greater good may be for you to be persuaded, rather than them.
What it ain’t: Although, obviously, if someone converts, they were persuasible, the other side’s not being persuaded does not prove that they violated the obligation of persuasibility—it may be, for example, that you made a poor case. It is perfectly possible for people to disagree throughout their entire lives while still upholding the obligation of persuasibility. (Indeed, it is likely).
Why it matters: because ethically, two people who have placed themselves under mutual obligation of persuasibility can co-participate in a political and social order peacefully and of their own free will. The obligation of persuasibility is thus a possibility condition for liberal democracy. The areas in which the obligation of persuasibility holds, within a given society, are the ones where society can be both individually free and socially ordered. Or, as I used to put it to my class, tell me how much of the obligation of persuasibility your society is willing to undertake, and I will tell you how much peace and freedom you’re going to get.”
To me, this is the heart of rational discourse as practiced in the colonies. It may or may not have been the correct interpretation of the continental philosophers of the day, but is built on the foundations laid by Aristotle and still taught at that time. The sad state of education today is a topic for another day.
That said, there are some things that will invalidate rational discourse/persuasibility. Again quoting Dr. Barnes, the things that do this are:
“1. communications aimed entirely at conversion; that character on your doorstep in the cheap suit, who is not there to find out what you might think about God or God’s nonexistence, but to deliver a single-sided message and try to knock down your objections. 2. communications aimed entirely at expression (or maybe “venting” is a better word, since the legal term ‘freedom of expression” covers much that is intended to be persuasive), e.g. shouting “Nigger” into a bullhorn on a crowded city street, 3. communications whose purpose is to dismiss any need to listen to the other side (e.g. ad hominem, sponsor boycotts, a habit of characterizing the other side as morons or dupes), 4. therapizing speech (treating the other person’s opinion as a symptom of disease or vice), 5. listening solely to refute, 6. some kinds of extreme relativism ("that might be right for you but it’s not right for me"), 7. apathism (the position that the other sides’ distinctions are without differences).”
John Ringo also brought up a concept that deserves mention, because it is an area in which rational discourse/persuasibility has no bearing. This is the concept of a “religious” belief, i.e. one that is held on a matter of faith such that no amount of evidence, data, or other will change it. These are beliefs that can be core to a person, or are simply such that they will not be discussed or modified. A former co-worker and I discussed this point at some length in some rather fun discussions, and the term we had settled on to describe such was “prejudice.” For such beliefs are just that, they are subjects on which a preconceived opinion exists that is not subject to rational discussion or debate.
We all have such, and they can be a religious belief, a political belief, or simply an opinion on a current event. I have certain prejudices regarding space, including the fact that we need to be out there, that no amount of discussion will change. In terms of events, it is a prejudice with me that we did a good thing in Iraq, and that having been home sick and watching it live on TV that day it is my prejudice that my government committed murder at Waco. I have facts to back both assertions up, but these are not topics in which I will engage in rational discourse, but rather conversion discourse.
The press, as opposed to The Media, was intended to play a crucial role in the process of rational discourse in America. It was to be a means of providing the news, the facts which needed to be considered by one and all. It was to provide a means for disseminating the differing positions that were generated, along with the discussion of same. It was to allow a means of disseminating what was distilled from this, so that some form of consensus could be presented, or at least what decision had been reached by the government and why.
Through this, there was presentations by the press, by pundits, conversion messages by individuals or groups, and again news of the decisions reached. It is a critical process, and is key to ensuring and expanding our freedoms, as well as continuing the great experiment that is America.
It is also the concept upon which I founded this blog, with the hope of encouraging thought, discussion, and more. It is why I can and will delete comments that fail of the test of persuasibility. If you want to convert, attack and destroy, fail to provide facts and citations: go start your own blog. I am very pleased that I have thus far only deleted one comment. It gives me hope for the blog, the concept, and for America if not the world.
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Friday, September 08, 2006
Saving Pvt. Journalism, Pt. 3
Continuing the reprint, originally posted 16 June 2003
There are certain aspects to what is called journalism that go beyond the real office. Then, there are certain realities that come into play as means of communications develop. Both need to be understood as we continue to consider saving journalism.
There are certain aspects to what is called journalism that go beyond the real office. Then, there are certain realities that come into play as means of communications develop. Both need to be understood as we continue to consider saving journalism.
Within The Media and most communications efforts that have anything to do with journalism, there is real journalism, entertainment writing, opinion writing, and advertising. These have different histories and purposes, and bad things happen when the lines between them get blurred.
As stated previously, real reporting gives facts in an honest and balanced manner. It does not lead you, suggest what you do, or in any other way attempt to coerce you towards a particular view. Having this type of information is a keystone of the great experiment that is America, and was one of the reasons for Jefferson’s famous quote “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.”
Now, it is interesting to note that President Jefferson had his run ins with the newspapers of the day, just as modern politicians do. Even then, there was considerable debate on what constituted reporting and what was other. Indeed, Jefferson got in one of the best shots when he remarked “Advertisements… contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper.”
He also made two quotes that are very applicable today, especially when taken in the broader sense of The Media. “I deplore… the putrid state into which our newspapers have passed and the malignity, the vulgarity, and mendacious spirit of those who write for them… These ordures are rapidly depraving the public taste and lessening its relish for sound food. As vehicles of information and a curb on our funtionaries, they have rendered themselves useless by forfeiting all title to belief… This has, in a great degree, been produced by the violence and malignity of party spirit.” This was echoed in “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day.”
Entertainment writing is how I refer to human interest and similarly done feature stories. They do present a lot of information, but can hardly be called fair, balanced, or non-coercive. They are approached from a particular point of view, often from the eyes of a “victim” of some sort, and through such loose all journalistic credibility. They are great means of exposing a wrong and encouraging some form of change, but less than beneficial towards rational discussion of an issue and determination of the optimum means and method of change. I refer to it as entertainment writing in part because its roots like back in the 1800s when tales of frontiersmen, the wild west, and other characters were the genesis for this style of writing (IMO). Other writers caught on to the fact that putting people in, and telling the story from the viewpoint of a given person, caught the reader’s attention and hooked them on the story and on the publication. This has been used to great effect, such as forcing reforms in the meat processing industry, and to great shame as in the falsified stories of Janet Cooke and Jimmy’s World.
Opinion writing has a long and prestigious history in the United States. In many ways, it was the early leaders of the states, and then the founding fathers, who made it an art form. Since there were no mass means of entertainment as we have today, dinner and party conversation often saw presentations in rational discourse in which selected speakers would hold forth on issues ranging from natural history to political science. The speakers were engaging, thoughtful, and presented their positions well. This speech was to convert, but it also allowed for the possibility of conversion in the opposite direction.
As time went on, this expanded and such conversations became debates of sort, and were of interest far and wide as problems with England grew. The various options for action and inaction were laid out, as were the costs and benefits for each. This debate spilled out of the drawing rooms of the day, and into pamphlets and such that were carried out to the wider world. In this way, the general populace was informed and presented with the relative merits for each position and was able to judge between them.
This gradually moved from the politicians, as the intellectual founding fathers moved on, and became the province of journalists, academics, and others who were able to continue the tradition. From this, we get today’s columnists, pundits, and broadcasters who provide opinion-focused writing.
Advertising is a means of paying the bills for communications outlets. It began because printing was expensive, and some means of defraying the costs of the press, ink, paper, and such was needed to make mass printing feasible, either for journalistic or political ends. Ads have always been both a blessing and a curse, as they are needed but they also have the ability to corrupt coverage. An advertiser can, has, and does influence coverage by either buying more or paying more when they like how things are done, or by taking money away when they do not. Good communications outlets have clear boundaries between advertising and business and the journalistic side of the house.
In previous posts, I have touched briefly on changes in technology and how it affects The Media and communications. In reviewing the history of journalism and communications, there is a concept that needs to be brought forward for consideration.
As any technology develops, it goes through clear phases. There is the initial single purpose, then a move towards general coverage, and then a focus on specialization. In newspapers, this can be seen in the original broadsheets, which then moved into newssheets and newspapers that covered all possible topics, then a switch towards a particular audience or a particular subject matter. Magazines followed a similar path, growing out of newspaper and political pamphlets to devote to a specific subject or goal, then becoming the general magazines of the day, and then evolving into a legion of magazines each focusing on a different topic or specialty area.
All media follows this trend, and it shapes operations and plans in The Media and in any communications outlet. Getting on the right side of that curve means being extremely successful and making money. Being off the curve means loosing your shirt. So, most outlets keep this theory in mind as they start or as they try new things.
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Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Saving Pvt. Journalism, Pt. 2
Originally posted June 13, 2003
To understand where we are today, we have to look back at the long road that brought about modern concepts of journalism, media, and entertainment. In many ways, this is a history of technology with a bit of people thrown in for spice.
In a day and age where instant communication is the norm, it is hard to remember that it was not that long ago that not every home had a phone, a television, and that not every television was colour. Most of today’s high school students have never lived in a world without the internet, cable or satellite television, phones, or even cell phones. Despite some nasty accusations, I am not as old as dirt and I do remember the days when not every home or location had a phone; when there was not cable television and the pain in the rump it was to re-orient the outside antenna to pull in signals from different areas (and the wonder that was an electric rotator that went on the mast), when quite a few televisions were not colour, and communications satellites began to revolutionize things.
Given the changes in a single lifetime, much less the many millions of lives that take things as they are for granted, it is hard to conceive of a time when news was strictly local, and even that took time to get around. In ancient of days, long before the rise of Athens and the true flowering of Western thought, news traveled my merchants, by soldiers, and others who had to take to the road. Travelers were sought after when they arrived, because they could and would tell the news of far away places, sometimes more than twenty miles away.
There were no presses, and clay tablets, papyrus, and even stone contained the writing of the day. Specialists in writing, scribes, were the earliest gatekeepers of the recording of information, deciding what was worthy to go on the limited resources of the day. As a result, most news and entertainment were oral and traveled person to person. To get an idea of how reliable such is, simply play the kids game rumor. You get the picture.
Nor was this the only problem. Many people relished being the center of attention, of being plied with food and drink so as to tell the news and tales of far away places. This, in turn, lead to bards. These were traveling entertainers who sang, danced, recited poetry or stories, and otherwise entertained the masses – such as they were – along the way. Bards had entry into great halls and the lowliest hut, but knew that they must entertain to earn their keep. So, they told great stories of great deeds, and news often was embellished to keep attention and ensure good earnings for the night or stay.
Written histories did exist, but they were limited in amount because the cost of the materials was quite high. Therefore, they tended to be for official writings of one sort or another, and as a result represented the “official government take” on events. Since this usually involved justification of things or the official version of events, it is safe to say that they were often as embellished as the bardic tales.
As the ability to make paper grew, so to did written documents. They were still expensive, and very limited because there the photocopiers of the day were teams of scribes, later monks, who copied documents by hand. Again, the game of rumor can show you how perfect some of those copies might be… The result was, that news and entertainment continued to be a largely oral tradition.
Entertainment itself deserves a bit more explanation. There were, of course, theatres and great plays and shows were put on in them. These were, by and large, rare events and limited primarily to large towns. Even traveling shows tended to go to larger cities rather than small villages and such. Within large towns, there was a need for more regular entertainment, and the bards filled the role. Bards were actor, singer, illusionists, and more rolled into one. Even when traveling acting companies began to appear, they had to be a bit multifaceted to make a go of it out on the road.
This continued to be the case even after the advent of the printing press. The press made it easier to produce multiple copies of things, but it was an expensive and time-consuming operation. Not only was the press expensive, but parchment and paper were as well. Therefore, most printed items tended to be either books or special announcements from the government that needed to be read far and wide so all the people would hear them. Literacy was far from universal, and any who would decry the status of such today should look back a hundred years or more for contrast.
The concept of news as news, unembellished, timely, and unbiased was largely undreamed of until fairly recently. Traveler’s tales were in great demand, but all knew to take them with a grain, or a keg, of salt. It was quite often impossible to tell fact from fiction, which produced a number of problems, solutions, and perplexing situations.
In the 1600s, this began to change somewhat, but did not flower as an ideal until the 1700s. It was during this time that the great thinkers and philosophers of the day made the point that people were capable of looking after themselves, and making good decisions, if provided with the right information. This also coincided to some degree with the rise of the merchant class, who needed accurate information for purposes of trade. It was then that the first broadsheets began to be published, primarily with shipping schedules, fees, and other information needed for business. This was aided by newer presses and improved means of paper production.
The idea of accurate information grew out of the needs of business, out of capitalism. The other driving force in this was science, and the meme from it that all could be explained logically, rationally, and accurately through the discoveries being made. These memes merged, spread, and grew among the intellectual elite of the time. Some began living it, and the broadsheets transformed a bit into things that were the precursors of today’s newspapers and magazines.
The term “the press” grew out of the printing presses of the day. Even with improvements they were expensive, large, heavy, and took several people to work in an efficient manner. Therefore, “the press” served the needs of a large area and once the idea of competing broadsheets began, they also found service printing rival publications at different times. It was to ensure that the presses would continue to be used for such that the modern concept of freedom of the press was born. It was to ensure both that the government did not control the presses, and therefore the flow of news and information, and to ensure that presses were not limited to just one group.
The journalists of the time are in many ways barely recognizable by the ideals of today. They were partisan, and broadsheets and newspapers were closely allied with various political parties and factions. That is still quite true in a majority of the world today, though many in The Media and various ivory towers do their best to pretend that it is not so. Having traveled the world a bit, read papers and watched news elsewhere, and talked to the people involved in the production of same, it is my opinion that this practice is far more widespread than not.
The U.S. was not and is not exempt. Just look at the history of such papers as the New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune (copperheads anyone?), or of the Washington Times and Washington Post today. Almost every major paper in the U.S. was, and to some extent still is, affiliated with a political party or movement.
Just as partisanship has continued on, so too have elements of the bardic tradition. Writers and broadcasters seek to capture, to enthrall, to wax eloquent on the topics of the day. While this may show learned background, and that was a part of the bardic tradition since they often were literate and more, it is also an attempt to boost readership and viewership. Simply look at the writing of the 1800s and it is plain to see. This has lead to some great writing, some even truly great in literary terms, but it can also be as misleading as any tale of dragons or daemons who will eat the ships that sail off the edge of the world.
This continued into the new media of the age as well: radio. Radio stations sprang up, and were often spinoffs of print media empires. Until monopoly laws changed the practice, it was not uncommon and generally accepted.
The concept of modern reporting actually is a product of the last century, the 1900s. It was then, through a variety of events that occurred in the U.S., that the idea of accurate, unbiased, beholden to none, straight news came into being. For background purposes, there were several scandals in government and in the media itself that brought this about. When the people of the country found out that both the media and the government had been lying to them, or at the very least not telling the whole truth, the outrage had to be dealt with in a constructive manner.
There are numerous parallels to what we face today. Advertisers were influencing the news, celebrities and politicians were getting preferential treatment, payoffs were being made to media and to government, and it was clear that all the rules – and a heck of a lot of laws – were being broken. This brought about the reforms that were to “end” corruption in government, and reforms were made in the media by the media. The latter was to ensure that regulatory efforts were not made on any level, and to prevent further business losses.
The next post will explore this a bit further, so that we can get a better picture of how we have reached from print and radio to today.
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Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Into The Light: Steve Irwin
Of all the ways I would have expected the Crocodile Hunter to go, this was not one of them.
Steve was a showman, yes, and a nut—in the good ways of the word. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and did not take as many risks as many believed. Instead, he did things with a strong sense of calculation, knowing his limits and that of the animals with which he interacted. Don’t take my word for it, go to real experts and hear what they are saying. Last night, I saw a great news program that featured Jack Hanna and Jim Fowler. For those of you old enough to remember Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom, Jim was the one who always got to wrestle the beast of the week while Marlin Perkins went and viewed the butterflies (or at least in the version a cousin and I did in satire). Both are experienced, and have a lot of wisdom in the field. Jim, in particular, talked about Irwin and how he really didn’t take risks per se. It is worth noting that Steve was never bitten by a poisonous snake… Those saying that he took risks, or poked/provoked the ray, well, a lot of it seems like sour grapes to me, grasping for a moment of fame on far greater coattails.
Steve’s enthusiasm caught with audiences, and he did much to get younger generations interested not in the showmanship, but in the meat that is animal science. From behavior to biology, he made it fun, accurate, and interesting. As friend G noted, he was the best PR snakes have had in all of history.
I hope that this will not be lost in the days ahead, and that his work will continue. What he did, both in public and in private, is important. I also hope that a wish of his will be honored, and the film of what happened is released as he apparently desired. May we all learn from it, one more lesson from a man who did much to make animals fun and interesting again.
Meantime, I wish the best for his wife and children. May the light shine on them in days ahead, and warm them and guide them on the path they now must follow.
Repost: Saving Pvt. Journalism, Part 1
In switching over to new software, I may not be able to save my full archive. So, I am going to be reposting some of what I think is the best of Laughing Wolf. I hope you enjoy…
There are a number of posts up on this topic right now, but I have not read them as I was and am busy working on my own take on things. Indeed, I am in the process of asking some people in communications for whom I have a good deal of professional respect, to join in this effort and post their two-cents worth as well.
Even without their inputs, it will be a process of several, or even many, posts. Were I write at Denbestian length, it would still require a number of them. The process of reforming, of saving journalism is something that needs and deserves thought, care, and serious discussion.
It requires distinguishing between the press, The Media, and Entertainment; and, it requires some knowledge of how we got into this situation. Be it to gain a better understanding, or simply to follow the adage of “History Gone Mad” in which it is said how can you hope to screw something up right, if you don’t know how they screwed it up in the first place.”
There are many simplistic solutions that would definitely fall in that latter category. So that we don’t screw things up and make them worse, it is well to take some time now, gather facts, and then engage in some serious skull sweat. The founding fathers did so, and it seems to have worked out well. We should endeavor to do no less.
First, we must distinguish between the press, The Media, and Entertainment. A difficult task given how blurred the lines between them have become, but not so hard in other ways. They share some common traits, but there are crucial distinctions that set them apart.
The press is true journalism. It is someone who decides to pursue a story and present it to the world. Within that framework, they adhere to certain principles that include presenting facts honestly and accurately, providing key points of view, noting where other points are excluded, admitting to potential conflicts of interest, and otherwise ensuring that the reader has all the major facts for judging both the story and the situation it describes. Honest is the key word for work done this way.
While the story may be done for altruistic reasons, such as to right a wrong or make the public aware of a crucial item, it is also done for another key reason: to make money. At the least the writer hopes to recoup expenses, and at best to make a tidy profit. It must be noted, however, that the latter is a very rare occurrence in journalism.
The desire to make money is a key common denominator between the three. All want and need to make money. Without a profit, there is no way to buy supplies, cover expenses, and get the story out. The profit motive is also a good divider, with the means and amounts being useful.
The Media is in business to make money, fairly significant money in the case of large publications or operations. It does this by catering, some may call it pandering, to a given market or demographic. The stories are written for this audience, whether it is formally acknowledged or not. The stories carried in the media tend to be of the type to provoke, to titillate, and to hook the reader, listener, or viewer. This may be done by honest rhetorical device, but often through misleading or distorted headlines or broadcast teasers.
Entertainment goes full-tilt after the chosen market. It rarely has any interest in the truth, unless the truth provides a good hook on which to build a story. Outright fiction is preferred, as license taken with it rarely draws the howls of outrage that tampering with historical facts tends to do. This does except, of course, the occasional incompetent screw-up of a work of fiction so that fans of that story – or even the author – are inclined to scream in rage or anguish.
These are, for now, somewhat simplistic categories and distinctions. This will change over time, but it serves as a jumping off point. Tomorrow, or one day soon, we will go into the history of how we got here, and, for that matter, where is here.
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Clean Hands: Some Food For Thought
Grim has done it again with another good and thoughtful post that looks at what truly lies below the surface. Go read The Smell Of Death, and think about that which lies below in us all.
Silence Is Broken
Like the beer bottle… Okay, so the rhyme/scansion/alliteration are all off, but what the hey. Things have been interesting here at the lair, with lots of long hours at work, long hours slaving away pampering the pooch, and not nearly enough time for blogging. Hope to be changing that soon, and the look will change soon too, I hope. Meantime, sit back and enjoy as I try to get things going in the new software.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Testing, Testing
Is this thing on?
LW
Content copyright C. Blake Powers and the individual authors. Comments become the property of C. Blake Powers and may be altered, edited, deleted, and used by C. Blake Powers or the individual authors without restriction or recompense.
