Question

Read the following comment by Bernard Goldberg, a journalist and author of Bias: "Here’s one of those dirty little secrets journalists are never supposed to reveal to the regular folks out there in the audience: a reporter can find an expert to say anything the reporter wants—anything! Just keep on calling until one of the experts says what you need him to say and tell him you’ll be right down with a camera crew to interview him. If you find an expert who says, ‘You know, I think that flat tax just might work and here’s why . . .’ you thank him, hang up, and find another expert. It’s how journalists sneak their own personal views into stories in the guise of objective news reporting."24 What implications does this statement have for the subject of this chapter? Explain your answer

Answer 1

Answer: The statement implies that there is no such thing as being impartial in journalism. By looking for specific experts that reassure your point of view, a reporter can direct the news reporting the way he/she wants. Showing in the excerpt that they try to contact the ones that are up to this and even record the expert on camera, they manipulate the audiece with proof as they wish to.