The Seattle Times columnist learned the hard way that not everyone understood that he was being satirical in his previous column on Christmas. (I could have warned him about that. There are a few people who simply don't get satire on any subject, and a great many people who have such strong opinions on Christmas (and other religious subjects) that satire, unless you can write as well as Mark Twain, should be avoided by prudent authors.)
He ends his current column with this heartfelt advice:
And while I'm doling out advice: For God's sake, stop believing everything you read in the newspaper.
That's advice that I took many years ago. And I have many examples to show why Westneat's advice is wise. Here's one I have mentioned before on my own site. A few years ago, Joann Byrd, who was then editorial page editor of the Seattle PI, wrote an editorial attacking the Republicans for leaking something unpleasant about the Clintons. On the same day that the editorial was published, we learned that the leaker had been a Democratic judge, who had leaked unintentionally.
Byrd and I had an interesting email exchange. She was quite sorry for the mistake and explained that she had missed the news about the judge because the editorial and news are separate at the PI. I said that I understood, but thought that she should publish a correction. She said that they had published a letter criticizing the editorial, which was true. I pointed out that the PI had also published a letter supporting the editorial, and urged her again to make a correction. She never did.
Westneat gave one example showing why we shouldn't believe what we read in newspapers, his previous column. I just provided another, one of my favorites from a very large stock. Now it is your turn. Can you give us your own example illustrating why Westneat is right to warn us against believing what we read in newspapers? Bonus points for examples from the Seattle Times. (And here's a hint for those looking in today's issue: I haven't read it, but there is a column by Floyd McKay, the retired journalism professor. If I were looking for errors, that's where I would start.)
(The article that fooled Byrd into thinking that the leak had come from a Republican was written by Pete Yost of the Associated Press. I can't prove it, of course, but I have always thought that Yost, who knew the truth, was trying to trick his readers into blaming the leak on Republicans. And I have called him "Sneaky" Pete ever since.)
Posted by Jim Miller at December 14, 2005 02:35 PM | Email ThisIt's healthy to take each and every fact and article with a grain of salt. But to discard the entire newspaper sector as an item not worthy of being read, you tread into dangerous territory.
The average citizen, which is so ignorant to the issues, would do well to read the newspaper. Sadly, people seem to be relying on KOMO 4 more than anything -- and local tv is the worst source of news ever (unless you want to know the weather!)
Posted by: nathan on December 14, 2005 02:56 PMIt's healthy to take each and every fact and article with a grain of salt. But to discard the entire newspaper sector as an item not worthy of being read, you tread into dangerous territory.
The average citizen, which is so ignorant to the issues, would do well to read the newspaper. Sadly, people seem to be relying on KOMO 4 more than anything -- and local tv is the worst source of news ever (unless you want to know the weather!)
Posted by: nathan on December 14, 2005 02:56 PMBack then (10 years ago, not in the news biz now) the R's didn't even bother to send out press releases but the Dems had a release for EVERYTHING. So their side was constantly in the "news" as if it were the only available information.
I made it a practice when receiving one of the Dem "press releases" to call the local republican or at least someone with more information to get more of a balanced version of the story on the air, and i did ruffle some feathers doing so as it was unheard of to do such a thing at that time!
I was fired 6 months later by the democrat station manager.
This says more to me about the GOP in your market area than it does about the dems and your radio station.
How does KCGOP rate compared to 10 years ago in your unspecified geographic area?
Posted by: huckleberry on December 14, 2005 04:50 PMI think since the advent of Fox news, generally the GOP has woke up to the modern reality of press and spin. the Dems were way ahead at that time is the point i was making. I was in Southern Oregon then.
The broader point i was attempting to make is about the newspapers, TV stations, and most radio stations. That point again is that they do not actually investigate and report the news, they simply read what is given to them as if it were fact. I did not realize this until i saw the actual press releases first hand and noticed that they were verbatum being printed as NEWS in both the local and statewide (Oregonian) newspapers, as well as on TV.
Posted by: dave on December 14, 2005 05:12 PMHaving said that they have one heck of a long way to go before I will buy a paper.
They could start by putting the historic democratic election in Iraq on their front page, but they will run some negative article on the war instead.
They are just to entrenched and predictable.
Posted by: GS on December 14, 2005 05:20 PMAnd, finally, this gem: "Gregoire is the legitimate winner of the election."
Posted by: Burdabee on December 14, 2005 05:41 PMBTW, Pictures of Gregoire and Sims get a special location at the bottom of the cage.
Posted by: joer on December 14, 2005 06:31 PMNote to Westneat: Yikes. You're no Dave Barry.
Posted by: Organization Man on December 14, 2005 08:58 PM
I have to conclude that the majority of these people don't really want to work to hard, they like being "public personalities," and they dont wish to offend anyone who might remotely think it's cool to know them and might give em an easy story now and then.
Posted by: dave on December 14, 2005 09:37 PMHave you seen so much as a peep out of the News Buffoon regarding this? Yes in as much as Bill Evans was slapped down by the State in his latest attempt, however what this situation calls for is a thorough and comprehensive investigative report. Will we ever see this? Before you answer, think about this… everyone, and I mean everyone including the News Buffoon knew about Brame for years, they knew about him prior to his ‘coronation’ as Police Chief. The ‘news’ which was reported after he murdered his wife wasn’t news at all.
Posted by: JDH on December 15, 2005 09:27 AMDanny - do give up your day job!
Posted by: alphabet soup on December 17, 2005 08:52 AM(name redacted), if you read it quick you might think he's sincere. Read it again and you will see that Westneat is telling us we have no business practicing - or celebrating our religion in public.
The addressee is the left's icon for a religous whacko, not Danny's own pastor.
In that paragragh he states that the only place Americans are likely to hear about Jesus's birth is in the "retail core" (stores), clearly indicating we're a bunch of ignorant hypocrites who don't go to church or read the bible.
The middle of the body of text beginning with "I hope so, for Jesus sake, but I have my doubts" clearly inferes that Jesus is losing. This is the rallying cry of Satan & the liberal movement.
It ends with "And here's what's truly sad. After we are persecuted from the malls, how are we supposed to observe the birth of the Lord? What's left for us? Just church? The family hearth?
I can't imagine what Jesus would have said about that."
My emphasis added, I think this speaks for itself.
The article was designed to mislead some readers into thinking he was a self effacing Christian tired of the "hype" while being a very clear slap at Christians who recognize Westneat for the pompous ultraliberal troll that he is.