The journey from there to here
DISCLAIMER: Please note that my title reads "some of the media". I don't wish to disparage the responsible members of this profession.

The Kobe Bryant case has really brought out a pet peeve of mine. Because the name of the accuser has been released on some separate occasions, it is information that I found months ago, and is readily available to anyone willing to do the work to find it. However, I have had no problem in not releasing the name in my posts or discussion of the case because, well, it just isn't appropriate.

Many members of the media, however, have no ability to make this common sense distinction. They can't discriminate between newsworthy information and that which should remain under a shroud of confidentiality, at least for a time. It is for this reason, among others, that defense department briefings have been rather generic and specific information isn't usually revealed; with a journalist who has trouble making such common sense distinctions, there is a great chance of endangering the lives of our troops who continue to occupy a hostile war zone.

In short, a scoop is a scoop is a scoop. But a scoop should never come at the price of one's journalistic integrity.

just my two cents,

Gideon MacLeish

Comments
on Sep 02, 2004
I think the level of competition is the problem here. Everyone thinks, "if we don't print it, our competitors will, and steal our business." So everyone prints everything they find out.
on Sep 02, 2004
Yes, that's probably the main factor.
on Sep 02, 2004
journalistic integrity


almost as much of an oxymoron as military intelligence
on Sep 02, 2004
almost as much of an oxymoron as military intelligence


nah, we have at least two professional writers on JU, both of whom I'm pretty sure have some integrity, so I wouldn't be that hard on them.
on Sep 02, 2004
I didn't mean that as a blanket insult. It's only meant as an insult to those who fit the mold. After all, my husband and my uncle are both Military Intelligence, and my dad was. I do think it's sad that those writers who do have integrity may suffer because of those who don't.