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* UPDATED – ALL MISTY-EYED?
Posted on August 12th, 2012 6 comments
* Hey! I just figured out I don’t have a duty either and I’m not being paid! Happy day! I’ll take a break and join my neighbor’s picnic.
I HAVE NO DUTY!
People say, “You have a duty.” No. The newspaper has no duty. I have said this before; a newspaper has one duty, and that is to make money.
A lot of people get all misty-eyed about the Fourth Estate, about the special place of the press in American life and it’s responsibility to blah blah blah. This is my own profession’s fault, incidentally. Look how wonderful we are, how vital to the nation and community!Gil Smart, Associate Editor of the Sunday News, “A moral decision, but a business one too,” (click here).
And you read this newspaper? Seriously? Seriously?
Please check back later today.6 responses to “* UPDATED – ALL MISTY-EYED?”
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Talking August 12th, 2012 at 09:53
I dont have a problem with Gil’s honesty in this case or the core concept; however, I have issues with LNP’s quest for profit…
1) What makes you think that actually doing less (or no) real investigative newswork makes you more profitable? Couldn’t better content translate to more readers, higher ad rates, and stronger profit?
2) Make all the money that you want, that is the American way. Sell papers, sell ads, sell obits, sell access to online content, just dont betray the inherent public trust. The problem arises when a media company like LNP, abuses its power to profit not on the dissemination of information but on the dissemination of irresponsible information about an entity, the hotel/CC, where they hold a large financial interest.
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Very well said!
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Truth...out August 12th, 2012 at 15:26
So no “duty”. I guess that’s why the LNP can be a shill for whoever has the best financial deal for them.
Of course real newspapers and reporters have a duty. They can can make all the money they want, ethically. But when they abdicate all ethical standards, then they are no longer worthy of our support. Smart’s comments confirm that the LNP papers are just rags and not entitled to have our support.
Now that we know that the LNP is only about money (according to Smart), we can no longer trust the integrity of any story or editorial they write. And if Smart is not reflecting the LNP’s values, he should be fired.
Please, oh dear god please, don’t tell me that Field give Smart’s drivel multiple wags of the tail!
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Truth, this is an older blog post (June 12, 2012 if you follow the link) by Smart that sticks in my crawl and makes me sick and I think about almost everyday. But regarding today’s front page, disgusting, self-serving and totally unethical article by Smart, he actually links to NewsLanc.com – I guess because Field alwasy does praise him – but today Field takes after him big time (without naming Smart as the reporter)! What a hoot! Take that, Smart one!!!!
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P.S. You, Truth, and Talking both nailed this one! Thank you for putting my thoughts into words!
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anonymous2 August 13th, 2012 at 15:49
Freedom of the press was so important to the Founders that they put it in the Bill of Rights. The press has a higher calling: serving the good of the people, being the exposer of lies and frauds and telling the people the absolute truth, no matter what the cost. When it becomes just a business with profit as the only motive then we have Rupert Murdoch et al telling us nothing but spin.
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