Associated Press: Neutral news reporting; right?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091124/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_legislation_inflation

Okay, let's assume, for the sake of argument, that their points are valid.

But isn't the AP supposed to report the news, not cry and whine about how one political party is made up of doodyheads?

Seriously, can anyone recall an AP article that is more vitriolic than this one?

Conservatives have now proven that not only can they get under the White House's skin, they can get under the AP's skin to such an extent that they shed the mask of impartiality completely.

Nicely done.

Originally posted by sh76
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091124/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_legislation_inflation

Okay, let's assume, for the sake of argument, that their points are valid.

But isn't the AP supposed to report the news, not cry and whine about how one political party is made up of doodyheads?

Seriously, can anyone recall an AP article that is more vitriolic than th ...[text shortened]... s skin to such an extent that they shed the mask of impartiality completely.

Nicely done.

Usually they're busy carrying water for the Radical Republics - this is a change! It has to be because the the Republics made it so easy to ridicule them by making the centerpiece of their complaint the physical size of the bill. Next they'll tell us that the kerning is not right. Seriously, if this is all they have they should just shut the heck up. They're making my dogs look like rocket scientists.

Originally posted by sh76
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091124/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_legislation_inflation

Okay, let's assume, for the sake of argument, that their points are valid.

The business of news has been the business of spin for so long now that if anyone ever had impartiality at some previous time, then that was then, the interest now it seems is to construct a brand, that can be easily identified as standing for something. Impartiality is seen as being weak, undecided, ineffectual, and lacking a moral center.

Impartiality equates with fence sitting equates with blandness equates with disappearing without trace. Fox has proved that with a strong narrative to underpin their news coverage, they could appeal to and attract a particularly strong and loyal following. In the process they have redefined the notion of what fair and balanced is. In this sense Fox has been a game changer and forced their competitors to study and analyze their business model as well as their editorial stance.



Survival into the future means that among other media players there is less of an attempt to provide neutral coverage. When this happens to one of the sources that has been content to simply compile the available news of the day, then with their critique of the theatrics that have accompanied the debate of a particular bill AP have simply signaled that they are willing to adapt into the new media environment and are willing to stick their necks out and generate a bit of passion and loyalty themselves.

btw there is no argument about the validity of their argument.

It appears that the AP has a weekly "Spin Meter" column that I assume looks critically at the "spin" being used by the various politicians in Washington. This particular column was examining the GOP's efforts to make the healthcare bill look as "big" as possible.

Last week's column looked at a government effort to "help the environment" that doesn't really do very much. So it's not like the column focuses only on GOP spin.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gz4zK8WkS41E2pDdiOZYuNvsnzcAD9C1QPH00

Originally posted by Melanerpes
It appears that the AP has a weekly "Spin Meter" column that I assume looks critically at the "spin" being used by the various politicians in Washington. This particular column was examining the GOP's efforts to make the healthcare bill look as "big" as possible.

Last week's column looked at a government effort to "help the environment" that doesn't re ...[text shortened]... p://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gz4zK8WkS41E2pDdiOZYuNvsnzcAD9C1QPH00

Ah; okay; so this is their periodic "This is what we really think" column. I guess that makes it a bit more understandable.