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In my two best dictionaries "error" is listed only as a noun.

The corresponding verb would be "err," of which the past tense would be "erred."

Ignoring columnists with little direct interaction, I believe there is a natural inclination for journalists to move left over time.

I start with an assumption that most people, journalists included, are essentially good. Most of us share a common sense of right versus wrong, fair play, a dislike of blatant selfishness and self centered behavior, a desire to simply get along, and a dislike of overt control by others.

For societies to function, and for businesses to flourish, we accept a certain amount of questionable behavior provided we can distance ourselves from the behavior. This is why a government can exist without being totally fair and with a degree of control. This is why businesses, seen as non-human entities, can behave selfishly. We overlook self centered politicians by believing they also have a sense of vision and an underlying ethic for fair play.

As long as we can keep sufficient distance, we can ingore any variance from our own ethics by simply creating an excuse (greater good is popular), or claiming it is out of our control (another popular excuse).

Enter the journalist. By investigating a story the journalist loses the ability to maintain a distance. The journalist sees not a casualty list, but dead or maimed individuals with family, feelings, and goals and objectives not unlike his own. The journalist does not see a corporation, but workers directly harmed or mistreated by managers with names and faces.

Under these circumstances, the journalist must deal with the facts on a personal level. Most often, this means facing a government that is acting unfairly in some aspect, or a corporation managed by individuals focused only on their own best self interests, or a politician who considers the next election when acting in a particular fashion. Actions take on the more limited immediate result rather than the long term or big picture aspect. Since the journalist cannot change reality, his own ability to function requires him to gravitate towards those parties and persons who at least seem to have a higher regard for others. This tends to be politically a move left.

I suppose this is much like being a soldier and demonizing or at least dehumanising those he must kill.

I have a university psych book(Hunting Humans) that explains how serial muders are played by the press to help in prifiling. One of the things it mentions is that in the USA, most young reporters may start out with string leftwing beliefs but usually move left with experience. It says that reporters and those who cover human tradgedy, are usually pushed toward left-wing or "human stories" as they experience more human destruction.

They say this move is generally due to higher intelligence and worldly education that allows one to undertsand issues and people from a widened perspective.
These left-wingers are chosen based on thier ability to add feeling and a more understanding or human perspective to stories.

Your statement that media will favor hiring left wing reporters may hold true but this can also be seen as a sign of industry experience, as a reporter gains wider knowlegde and understandig of humanity they are 'graduating'(for lack of a better word0 into left-wing reporters.

I don't know if left-wing supporters can neccessarily be considered MORE intelligent but perhaps someone with either higher intelligence or s more wordly knowledge tends to fall left more than right. I don't know if this refers to a learned intelligence or just a greater sense of spirituality and inner awareness.

Sprry I missed the foirst paragraph 2nd sentence, I said:
"One of the things it mentions is that in the USA, most young reporters may start out with string leftwing beliefs but usually move left with experience."

This should read: "ONe of the things it mentions is that in the USA, most young reporters start out with strong RIGHT-wing beliefs but usually move left as they gain more experience."

Got the left and right mixed up, I a pair of those shoes with the green 'L' on one and the red 'R' on the other.

The study seems to contradict my personal observations and experiences. However, I have made no attempt to validate my perspective with any valid scientific study.

I never understood what is right or left wing opinions. Why classify them and not have a specific opinion on a specific problem? We love to stereotype people into categories so they can only respond within the confines of the group rather than formulate the own opinion. When these people operate outside the box they get written up over their deviation rather than talk about the right choice for the right situation to better existence. We rather attempt to discredit them rather than praise their attempt at a better tomorrow. If people just did the right things when they mattered just think how the world might be? I say bring back the Inquesition and really go to town!

Gee, that just mirrors my thoughts here a year ago.
I was scolded for having an 'unsupported' opinion.
Basically, I'd seen both sides of the news and had arrived at my own conclusions as a result of seeing various views and decidgin which were credible and which were not.

I was told that unless I had support for my comments, they meant nothing and were just uneducated babbling.

I then started to post links to views that mirrored my own. This was instantly degraded as it was a LEFT-wing source. The old, if the Democrats didn't win the election they must be wrong, frame of mind. SO this then made me see that unless you are republican or right-wing, your statements are not valid.

This could then be seen as unless you follow the leader, you are wrong. Therefore in order to have a valid opinion, you must follow Republicans, which some have admitted to doing here, no matter what Bush does, as it is thier obligation as an American to support him no matter what.

This is complete crap. You voted for him on his promises, if you don't like what he does after being elected you should be free to say so without the whole left-right argument being relevant.

Your political views should not, and in MOST countries DO not, have any bearing on the validity of your opinion. That like minded attitude has held back positive progression for too many years by having closed eyes and ears.

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You're right. People should form their opinion based on doing the right thing or, as you said, making the right choice for the right situation. So let me ask you this.

What do you think should be done about the widget crises in Wenobia?

What widget crisis, you might ask. Furthermore, where is Wenobia and what does it mean to me?

As a concerned citizen you decide to educate yourself on the issue, so pick up your local newspaper so that you might be informed enough to make a wise decision. Your local paper, the Podunk Daily Times, has a front page story about the widget crises in Wenobia. The story quotes people "in the know" that suggest that widgets are bad, really bad, and that Wenobia should solve their own problems. But wait, you pick up another newspaper, the Nowhere Daily Post, and sure enough, they also have a front page story about the widget crises in Wenobia. Their story also quotes people "in the know", but wait a minute. These people suggest that widgets are good, in fact, they say they're really good, and that we should help the Wenobians solve this problem.

So what's a person to think, and why? And whose right, and why? And more importantly, why do these two different newspapers suggest totally different things?