Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  Politics and Publications

    Posted 03-25-1997 11:24
    Deborah Ettington <MGT_ETTINGTO@ONLINE.EMICH.EDU> wrote:

    snip
    > I find that Fortune falls between Business Week and Forbes on the political
    > spectrum so that it is somewhat of a compromise in that regard.
    snip

    This statement puzzles me. I can't quite understand what it means. What is
    being compromized? If the reporting is honest, why is the political slant of a
    publication important?

    Don Kleist


  • 2.  Politics and Publications

    Posted 03-25-1997 13:08
    In response to Don Kleist's question about my statement about
    the editorial/ political orientation of the business publications:
    You ask, "If the reporting is honest, why is the political slant of
    a publication important?"
    I'm not sure that reporting can ever be so "honest" that it doesn't
    have some reporter or editor judgment in the presentation of the story.
    There is also a question of what stories are covered. For example,
    I think Business Week chooses to cover more stories about ethical
    concerns.
    You also ask what I mean by a "compromise" in regard to seeing
    Fortune as in between Business Week and Forbes on the political spectrum.
    I guess I mean that given a range of political persuasion in the classroom,
    choosing a publication that tends to be in the middle tends to not
    favor one side of the continuum more than the other as much as choosing
    one of the publications with a stronger liberal or conservative bend.
    Of course this is all relative, I'm sure there are those who would see
    any of these publications as too liberal or conservative from their
    perspectives. I do try to discuss the editorial slant of an article
    if I think that there is a strong one.
    I also think it's important for students to remember that the same
    story may look very different if reported in a different publication.
    To be honest, though, the real reason I use Fortune over the others
    is because they make it very easy for instructors to obtain advance
    copies, process student subscriptions, and deal with any problems with
    an 800 number. They also have a fax service with advance notice of
    table of contents and suggested questions for students (which I don't
    use but it's available). In other words, they have my business because
    they have targeted me, marketed and delivered their service better than
    the competition.


  • 3.  Politics and Publications

    Posted 03-26-1997 13:24
    In a message dated 97-03-25 11:49:32 EST, you write:

    << This statement puzzles me. I can't quite understand what it means. What
    is
    being compromized? If the reporting is honest, why is the political slant
    of a
    publication important?

    Don Kleist
    >>
    Don, since when can we assume that *anything* written in the press is honest?
    Media surveys have shown just how biased reporting can be. This, perhaps
    surprisingly, includes the Wall Street Journal (except for the Editorial page
    staff). It seems that slightly over 95 % of print journalists (and an even
    higher percentage of television "journalists") vote straight ticket Democrat.
    How can we pretend that the "spin" on this administration by the press is
    "honest?"

    Cheers,

    Duane

    Duane C. Tway, Ph.D., "The Trust Doctor"
    Consultants for Organization Response and Effectiveness (C.O.R.E.)
    7022 E. Hacienda Reposo
    Tucson, AZ 85715-4919
    Ph 520 721-6642
    Fx 520 721-1398
    DuaneTway@aol.com

    Faculty Advisor, Walden University
    dtway@waldenu.edu

    "Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
    And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings..."

    John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

    CORE: Practicing Fighter Pilot OD -- achieving high-flying, winning
    solutions.


  • 4.  Politics and Publications

    Posted 03-26-1997 15:20
    Please provide the reference for the cited survey. And I encourage all
    list members to cite references for alledged "facts" so that those who
    are inclinde to examine primary data may due so. I find myself very
    distrustful of someone elses interpretation of data.

    BTW, it is not just with stuff like the attached, for me it started with
    the Bible.
    >----------
    >From: Duane Tway[SMTP:DUANETWAY@AOL.COM]
    >Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 1:23 PM
    >To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
    >Subject: Re: Politics and Publications
    >
    >In a message dated 97-03-25 11:49:32 EST, you write:
    >
    ><< This statement puzzles me. I can't quite understand what it means. What
    >is
    > being compromized? If the reporting is honest, why is the political slant
    >of a
    > publication important?
    >
    > Don Kleist
    > >>
    >Don, since when can we assume that *anything* written in the press is honest?
    > Media surveys have shown just how biased reporting can be. This, perhaps
    >surprisingly, includes the Wall Street Journal (except for the Editorial page
    >staff). It seems that slightly over 95 % of print journalists (and an even
    >higher percentage of television "journalists") vote straight ticket Democrat.
    > How can we pretend that the "spin" on this administration by the press is
    >"honest?"
    >
    >Cheers,
    >
    >Duane
    >
    >Duane C. Tway, Ph.D., "The Trust Doctor"
    >Consultants for Organization Response and Effectiveness (C.O.R.E.)
    >7022 E. Hacienda Reposo
    >Tucson, AZ 85715-4919
    >Ph 520 721-6642
    >Fx 520 721-1398
    >DuaneTway@aol.com
    >
    >Faculty Advisor, Walden University
    >dtway@waldenu.edu
    >
    >"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
    >And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings..."
    >
    > John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
    >
    >CORE: Practicing Fighter Pilot OD -- achieving high-flying, winning
    >solutions.
    >


  • 5.  Politics and Publications

    Posted 03-26-1997 18:03
    Miles,
    One starting point is an article in the WSJ May 29, 1996 (back page) which
    cited 2 studies, one by the Freedom Forum and the other by the Roper
    Center in which 89% of the Washington journalists polled reported voting
    for Clinton in 1992. The Freedom Forum surveyed 139 Washington bureau
    chiefs and congressional correspondents with the following addtitional
    results: Political affiliation: 50% Democrat, 37% Independent, 9% other,
    4% Republican. On political orientation: Liberal 22%, Moderate to Liberal
    39%, Moderate 30%, Moderate to Conservative 7%, Conservative 2%. That
    journalists are overwhelming to the left of center is not even debated
    anymore, nor even denied by most of those journalists - just watch any any
    of the weekend politics/news shows - Crossfire, Capital Gang, Hannity and
    Colmes, McGlaughlin Group, Inside Politics, etc. The only question is
    whether or not such political and ideological views bias what is (and is
    not) reported. Bias here is often in the eyes of the beholder. Still, when
    was the last time you saw Rather, Jennings and Brokaw even report the same
    story with so much as a different spin, or report something the others
    didn't? (like Alan Keyes being led away in handcuffs in front of an
    Atlanta TV station for trying to attend a debate - only CNN covered that
    one). Anyway, there's your reference. Enjoy.
    Regards,
    Dave


    On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Davis, Miles wrote:

    > Please provide the reference for the cited survey. And I encourage all
    > list members to cite references for alledged "facts" so that those who
    > are inclinde to examine primary data may due so. I find myself very
    > distrustful of someone elses interpretation of data.
    >
    > BTW, it is not just with stuff like the attached, for me it started with
    > the Bible.
    > >----------
    > >From: Duane Tway[SMTP:DUANETWAY@AOL.COM]
    > >Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 1:23 PM
    > >To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
    > >Subject: Re: Politics and Publications
    > >
    > >In a message dated 97-03-25 11:49:32 EST, you write:
    > >
    > ><< This statement puzzles me. I can't quite understand what it means. What
    > >is
    > > being compromized? If the reporting is honest, why is the political slant
    > >of a
    > > publication important?
    > >
    > > Don Kleist
    > > >>
    > >Don, since when can we assume that *anything* written in the press is honest?
    > > Media surveys have shown just how biased reporting can be. This, perhaps
    > >surprisingly, includes the Wall Street Journal (except for the Editorial page
    > >staff). It seems that slightly over 95 % of print journalists (and an even
    > >higher percentage of television "journalists") vote straight ticket Democrat.
    > > How can we pretend that the "spin" on this administration by the press is
    > >"honest?"
    > >
    > >Cheers,
    > >
    > >Duane
    > >
    > >Duane C. Tway, Ph.D., "The Trust Doctor"
    > >Consultants for Organization Response and Effectiveness (C.O.R.E.)
    > >7022 E. Hacienda Reposo
    > >Tucson, AZ 85715-4919
    > >Ph 520 721-6642
    > >Fx 520 721-1398
    > >DuaneTway@aol.com
    > >
    > >Faculty Advisor, Walden University
    > >dtway@waldenu.edu
    > >
    > >"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
    > >And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings..."
    > >
    > > John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
    > >
    > >CORE: Practicing Fighter Pilot OD -- achieving high-flying, winning
    > >solutions.
    > >
    >