Rating journalists alongside used car salesmen and snake oil peddlers - probably a bit harsh…

“The news industry should work harder at exhibiting the same transparency about how it operates that it demands from public corporations and all levels of government.”

  • The best for transparency were The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC News, CBS News, The Christian Science Monitor and National Public Radio.
  • The worst, Time magazine, CNN, ITN, Sky News and Al Jazeera (English). - University of Maryland Study

Its a moral paradox.
I think that the majority of long term consumers/viewers/readers of any different media channel take measures, even if unconsciously, to understand the motivators of that particular channel. But if you are reading trash, buying the mag which is hitting the $bottom line$ to complain, can you really separate yourself from being part of the problem?
There are clearly many points you can sit on in the spectrum of justified truth seeking and baseless muck -raking.
The baseless Muck-raker gets it rough and is usually exposed down the track, but he has had his story and 20 seconds (as web breaking news has cut this considerably) in the sun.

But how far can the public go with blame really? I’m not sure if demanding transparency is a complete solution as there is obviously and continues to be an Audience! Claims of sensationalism are often with fairly strong foundations, but if there was no audience it would cease to exist. Does any hear the tree when it falls in the forest? Check out today’s “most viewed” on stuff.co.nz if you need some quantitative reinforcement to this argument.

1. Death toll rises in US bridge disaster
2. 237 reasons to have sex
3. Carnivore sex off the menu
4. Egg within egg a freak of nature
5. Seven-legged lamb born on Canterbury farm
6. Murder victim on child sex charges
7. Accept help or lose dole
8. ‘Crazed animals’ in Christchurch racist attack
9. Wellington Sevens date confirmed
10. Bishops face $8000 bill over ‘Bloody Mary’