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by puppybreath

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Well, it looks like the sheriff's department in Texas has closed the Cheney case:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060216/D8FQDTIOQ.html

I guess this means that the watchdog press will have to get back to other earth shattering, critical issues like what color tie Bush wore today and why, what Laura Bush thinks of the color yellow, and the complex reasoning on which shoe Cheney puts on first.

5 replies

by jamesrl

They also focussed on whether Bill Clinton was jogging or scarfing Big Macs when he was President, etc. etc. Compared to that, shooting someone is a big deal.

What is silly is not the fact they want to report on the shooting, but that they were angry about the fact that there was some delay in reporting it. Fourteen hours is not a cover up. Its breathing space. I can imagine anyone being kind of choked up, even if its clearly an accident.

James

by puppybreath

This isn't a liberal or conservative issue except from the perspective that most consider the press to be iberal. It's more about how much time and energy they spend on the smallest of stories. Remember back when Billy Carter peed on the side of a building? That was big news for days.

Instead of reporting the news it's more like "The news right now is slow, so let's blow something way out of proportion so we have somehting to talk about until something better comes along".

It's the same with things like Princess Di. "Dateline Washington - It's been 12 months since the accident occurred and tonight we'll discuss what might have happened so Joe Blow can sell his new book".

Both the newspapers and TV have turned into entertainment outlets instead of just reporting what's going on around us.

by jaqui

This was happening since daily newspapers started.

but it was usually only done during the times nothing was happening. Back when society did seriously slow down for the summer.

That's what started the papers actually reporting on UFO sightings, just to have something to print.

by jamesrl

And I in no way mean to be sexist.

In the old days, there were agreements on things not to report on. Eisenhower had a mistress, Kennedy had a mistress or two, and no one said boo - it was known to be off limits.

When I worked on Parliament Hill in the early 80s there were similar agreements - we all knew members of the opposing party who were gay (back then there were no "out" members in any party). But no one mentioned it in public and no press reported it, though I am sure many knew.

But things have certainly changed.

James

by jaqui

to call it what it really was..
common courtesy.
aka
if it's not relevant, don't discuss it.
:)

In a way, I think that society lost something significant when the press stopped honouring "Gentlemen's Agreements"

It could be derived from the change in society that disallows professional responsability, where no-one can be help liable for professional conduct. [ Thanks software companies, for refusing to accept liability for shoddy products ]

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