Comments on: Finally a reason to watch local news http://independentsources.com/2007/08/20/finally-a-reason-to-watch-local-news/ Independent thinking about California Politics, Hot Bikini Clad Teachers (Erica Chevillar), Topless Teachers (Tamara Hoover), Hot French Newscaster Melissa Theuriau, Katie Rees & the LA Times Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:17:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: James http://independentsources.com/2007/08/20/finally-a-reason-to-watch-local-news/#comment-72055 James Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:11:28 +0000 http://independentsources.com/2007/08/20/finally-a-reason-to-watch-local-news/#comment-72055 The concept of "unbiased," "fair and balanced" journalism is pretty recent. Well into the 20th century, when newspapers had the the market to themselves and there were tons of them, they were *expected* to have a point of view, and it wasn't only on the unsigned editorial page, it defined the content of the paper as a whole. Regardless, blogs developed from personal journals. Why does anyone expect a blog to be anything other than biased toward the writer's interests and agenda? At least they're often up front about it, as opposed to many news outlets whose biases are more subtly and artfully conveyed. Unless you're a local news anchor and you knock out a blurb from a press release and publish it as "Let's Blog!" Gag me. The concept of “unbiased,” “fair and balanced” journalism is pretty recent. Well into the 20th century, when newspapers had the the market to themselves and there were tons of them, they were *expected* to have a point of view, and it wasn’t only on the unsigned editorial page, it defined the content of the paper as a whole.

Regardless, blogs developed from personal journals. Why does anyone expect a blog to be anything other than biased toward the writer’s interests and agenda?

At least they’re often up front about it, as opposed to many news outlets whose biases are more subtly and artfully conveyed.

Unless you’re a local news anchor and you knock out a blurb from a press release and publish it as “Let’s Blog!” Gag me.

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