Comments on: Journalistic Heresy http://ryansholin.com/2005/06/10/journalistic-heresy/ The future of news. And more. No funny stuff. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:22:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ryan http://ryansholin.com/2005/06/10/journalistic-heresy/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Ryan Mon, 13 Jun 2005 14:52:07 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/?p=110#comment-35 Steve - anti-establishment bias does not necessarily equal going against the government at every turn - it means questioning the decisions made by a government on behalf of the people - an essential part of any democracy. You wrote <em>"Too many people have died from having their lives played with by know-it-alls."</em> Yes, exactly. And that's why the press should always ask the know-it-alls for evidence, and push to understand the rationale of the know-it-alls when they start playing with the lives of the people. Steve – anti-establishment bias does not necessarily equal going against the government at every turn – it means questioning the decisions made by a government on behalf of the people – an essential part of any democracy.

You wrote “Too many people have died from having their lives played with by know-it-alls.”

Yes, exactly. And that’s why the press should always ask the know-it-alls for evidence, and push to understand the rationale of the know-it-alls when they start playing with the lives of the people.

]]> By: Stephen M. St. Onge http://ryansholin.com/2005/06/10/journalistic-heresy/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Stephen M. St. Onge Mon, 13 Jun 2005 01:41:48 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/?p=110#comment-34 I disagree that anti-establishment bias is good. Think back 100 years. The establishments of that time, including the Czar and the Kaiser, had many faults. But in the darkest depths of their hearts, they never even considered arbitrary killings of political opponents. Once they were overthrown, the bodies piled up by the tens of millions. The problem with "anti-establishment bias" is that it <i>assumes</i> that getting rid of the present establishment will be an improvement. That isn't something that should be assumed, it's a conclusion that should be reached <em>only when there is hard evidence to support it</em>. Too many people have died from having their lives played with by know-it-alls. <em>[Ed: I've removed an irrational tagline from this comment - RS]</em> I disagree that anti-establishment bias is good.

Think back 100 years. The establishments of that time, including the Czar and the Kaiser, had many faults. But in the darkest depths of their hearts, they never even considered arbitrary killings of political opponents. Once they were overthrown, the bodies piled up by the tens of millions.

The problem with “anti-establishment bias” is that it assumes that getting rid of the present establishment will be an improvement. That isn’t something that should be assumed, it’s a conclusion that should be reached only when there is hard evidence to support it.

Too many people have died from having their lives played with by know-it-alls.

[Ed: I've removed an irrational tagline from this comment - RS]

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