Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!super!ida.org!potomac!jtn From: jtn@potomac.ads.com (John T. Nelson) Newsgroups: news.misc Subject: Re: Is the news media really that stupid? Summary: news-oids distorting the facts Message-ID: <7440@potomac.ads.com> Date: 14 Dec 88 17:29:27 GMT References: <33065@bbn.COM> <4355@pbhyf.PacBell.COM> <5999@hoptoad.uucp> <12470@cup.portal.com> Organization: Advanced Decision Systems, Arlington VA Lines: 39 In article <12470@cup.portal.com>, roger_warren_tang@cup.portal.com writes: > > All this media bashing is besides the point. > > First, computer expertise is NOT easily picked up; if it was, why > spend so much time training computer professionals? And journalists are > supposed to jaunt in, spend five minutes interviewing a computer whiz who > can barely articulate the concepts intelligibly to fellow computer and they > are expected to get everything down letter perfect? Gimme a break... Wait a minute! If the journalist conducting the interview doesn't understand, why can't he/she just (heaven forbid) say "I don't understand... please make this point clear." Instead they apparently smile, nod their heads and then run back to the office and rewrite the news until it fits their understanding of the event (which in this case is nil). So what if you don't understand what's going on? You can MAKE things understandable! > computers. If computer professionals are NOT prepared to communciate their > information effectively, then we deserve all the garbage we get. A lot of > this entails writing up USABLE information releases, establishing consistent > press contacts and EXPRESSING matters so that the widest possible audience > understands it. MIT graduate students can't spend hours preening for that next big story. The onus is on the news journalist to extract and report consistent facts. -- John T. Nelson UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!jtn Advanced Decision Systems Internet: jtn@potomac.ads.com 1500 Wilson Blvd #512; Arlington, VA 22209-2401 (703) 243-1611 "The only thing more useless than a Faberge' egg is a coffee table picture book about Faberge' eggs"