I’ve always been amused by studies that produce results so predictable they make you want to slap your hand to your forehead and say, “Wow, that was a waste of time!” Like a study that finds the gap between rich and poor is increasing in urban areas. Or a study that links lack of sleep to poor academic performance.
The results of such a study came across my desk today. The Canadian Media Research Consortium just released the results of The Fairness in News Study that found journalists believe they are presenting the news in a fair way while politicians do not believe the news is presented in a fair way. They also disagree on the methods used in reporting:
The Fairness in News Study reveals that while MPs and reporters agree on many elements of fairness in journalism, they disagree when it comes to the rules of engagement between journalists and sources. In particular, there is disagreement over the limits of privacy of public figures, using hidden cameras and tape recorders, reporting off-the-record conversations and quoting unnamed sources.
Ok, some of that stuff quoted is a bit sneaky, but isn’t it odd asking the people who should expect to be criticized and put in the spotlight whether the news produced by a group of watch-dog journalists is fair?
Did anyone expect them to say they liked it just fine?
Filed under: Links | Tagged: Journalism, politics, study
