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[matusiak <dave AT matusiak.org>]

On Oct 8, 2004, at 6:46 AM, James Dasher wrote:

> That assumes that everyone everywhere will always stridently lie.  But 
> a few bald-faced lies?  They generally get uncovered.  Then people 
> make up their own minds.

This media bias discussion is getting tired to the Nth degree, but I 
had to counter this fallacy.

If these people are all making up their own minds, then why does 1/3 of 
the country still believe that Saddam and Iraq toppled the WTC?  Is 
this simply their own personal version of The Truth? (as you note there 
is no monopoly on "The Truth").

And if no media employee is ever punished for their lies, then where is 
the discouragement to not do so in the future?

Get the lie out there first.  Make it BIG!  Make it GRAND!!  Make it 
TOO CRAZY TO BELIEVE!!!  And then, if and when you file a retraction, 
place it on the 15th page of Sports section buried underneath a few 
advertisements in -12 point type.

That is journalism?  Or Objective?  Or Fair and Balanced?

Stop lying to us and everyone else.