Journalistic malpractice

Journalistic malpractice is a term used to describe the once objective field of journalism which has now been reduced to ideology and slander. It is attributed to people within the mainstream media and old-media, but not exclusively. Their failure as a group willfully misleads, manipulates and distorts the public.

Objective journalism was once the cornerstone of America's democracy. When objectivity is replaced with malpractice then the media loses credibility. Without credibility, journalism becomes error-filled, journalistic failure, reckless journalism, Gotcha! tabloid-like reporting, scaremongering or yellow journalism, outright factual inaccuracies, promotion of fact-free journalism or falsehood-spreading.

One of journalists' corrupt goals is to manipulate or selectively edit statements to hide facts ^[1] or to perpetrate falsehoods ^[2] or hide unflattering stories of like-minded individuals. ^{[3] [4]} Another is to repeat falsehoods so that an issue dear to their agenda is kept alive in the public's mind.^[5] Another unethical tactic is to report "off the record" statements in a deception of the journalist's sources and interviewees. Most famously, Connie Chung interviewed Newt Gingrich's parents and solicited Gingrich's mother to repeat an insult he said in private about Hillary Clinton. Chung plied the information from Mrs. Gingrich with the lie: "Why don't you just whisper it to me? Just between you and me", falsely implying that she had no intent to repeat or broadcast the comment.^[6]

Michael Hastings, formerly of Newsweek, had an assignment to write behind-the-scenes stories about the presidential campaigns. He admits upfront that "objectivity is just a fallacy for reporters." ^[7]

ABC journalist damns whole field of journalism over “DANGEROUS” bias. ^[8] Michael Malone writes, "...not just bewildering, but appalling."

Time magazine's Mark Halperin called the media's performance during the Presidential campaign simply "disgusting." He told a media panel, "It was extreme bias, extreme pro-Obama coverage." ^[9]

There were many instances of corruption within this elite group of journalists.

Good News

Howard Kurtz of CNN accurately pointed out on "Reliable Sources," few media outlets seemed at all interested in giving much attention to the great news out of Iraq last week regarding September's sharp decline in casualties. ^[10]

Bad News

In 2005, Sabrina Tavernise of the NYT's tries her very hardest to cast the future of Iraq as a lost cause. ^[11]

CBS's Lara Logan declares US defeated in Iraq. Logan on 60 Minutes tells General Abizaid, "We hear very little about victory in Iraq these days. We hear a lot about how to manage the defeat." ^[12]

Fake News

Associated Press reported on Thanksgiving 2006 about the six Sunni civilians burned alive as they left Friday worship services. The shocking dispatch received massive, global coverage. ^[13] Subsequently, the story never was verified as true. ^[14]

In April 2003, New York Times journalist Jayson Blair wrote "In Military Wards, Questions and Fears From the Wounded." Blair described face to face conversations with four injured soldiers in a Navy hospital. The only problem is that he was never there and only talked to one soldier over the phone. Then he proceeded to fabricate quotes. ^[15]

Ney York Times is creating a new environmental 'pod' of reporters to promote green news. It is led by activist Glenn Kramon who says about his readers, "My goal is to make 'em angry enough to do something." ^[16]

Zogby survey finds two-thirds dissatisfied with the quality of journalism. 67% of the American public thinks traditional journalism is "out-of-touch." ^[17]

The mainstream media is in cover-up and counter-act mode. During the campaign, hardly a peep about Obama birth certificate lawsuits. After the election, coverage is also scarce. The few mentions of it have been dishonestly swept away, ridiculed as a nonconsequential matter. Enter the new catch phrase in the American lexicon, 'The Birthers' as coined by Politico. ^[18] So now the media has made the issue into an internet 'conspiracy', it's a conservative rumor. Journalist will go as far as they can to cover for Obama.

As the American people have great concerns for their country and for their families, journalists from CNN and MSNBC mock the protests with sexual jokes. ^[19]

• False messiah

• NBC's Lee Cowan: 'Hard to Remain Objective'
• Chris Matthews Admits Bias

• Types of Media Bias