News Loophole Skirts Journalistic Ethics
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James Joyner | Wednesday, July 25, 2007 |
Slate’s Jack Shafer argues that the word loophole should be banned from straight news reporting: “It’s a loaded, partisan word, one that implies wrongdoing and scandal where none exists, and inserting it into a political argument gives the inserter the upper hand. When loophole creeps into news stories, they start to read like editorials.” It’s a fair point that he buttresses with firm examples.
There are other words that reporters and headline writers routinely use that also insinuate wrongdoing without having to actually provide any evidence. My favorite example is claim and its variants, which imply that someone is lying.
I’m sure there are others. What are your candidates for banishment?
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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debate
narrative
unbiased (and its analogues as a description of news reporting)
admitted
fair (though usually by implication that its opposite is unfair; virtually impossible to use objectively)
Then there are the code words used to casually reinforce preconceptions:
ultraconservative
fundamentalist
assault weapon
And my favorite method for subtly focusing the narrative:
some say
In a slightly different vein, I'd ban "may" and "could" from all news reprorts.
It is reported/understood that...
According to an anonymous source...
Selectively pointing out party affiliation of the subject of a report. Name all party affiliations or none.
death tax
tax relief
What words would you substitute for "loophole", "assault weapon", or "fundamentalist"?
I have to whole heartedly agree with getting rid of "some say."
In a slightly different vein,Id ban abortion,pro choice, progress ,180 million years,prehistoric,cave man,consensus, and separation of church and state.
There are other words that reporters and headline writers routinely use that also insinuate rightdoing without having to actually provide any evidence.
In a slightly different vein,Id ban abortion,pro choice, progress ,180 million years,prehistoric,cave man,consensus, and separation of church and state.
Leave it to G.A.Phillips to equate censorship with clarification.
That said, I'd ban the use of the word "internet", simply because I don't think I've ever heard a story about it that got anything right.
Ok, thinking some more, I would ban:
"Paris Hilton"
"Lindsey Lohan"
"Brittany Spears"
and whoever the latest "blond white girl" is in the news these days.
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