NYU journalism professor Jefferson Flanders asks a question that's on a lot of minds - exactly who is a journalist these days? However, he says that some of this responsibility falls on the reader ...
Readers and viewers should ask simple questions. Is a story accurate? Is the proper context provided? Are the facts in the story pursued, without fear or favor, even when they lead to unpleasant conclusions? Is the reporter or commentator open about methods and motives? And, most important, is there an acknowledgement of what isn't known, of events or possibilities ruled out by conventional wisdom?
