Possibly Unfair Criticism of Real Journalists

March 9, 2010

I heard about a frustrated programmer who found a livelihood as an azure chip consultant. The fellow tries hard. He writes a Web log that takes on software companies with a feather duster. When I read “UK Press: 21st Century Journalism hits an All Time Low”, I thought the author was writing about this blogger fellow and his simplifying gang of mavens. I was wrong. The article challenges the quality of journalism in the UK, and the author read old newspapers as part of his research. For me the most interesting passage was:

Some editors seem to have a funny idea of what’s newsworthy.    They also seem to have an odd idea of what people find interesting to read and are  bending over backwards to put press releases by celebrity agents instead as newsworthy stories, these are often recycled in other major newspapers. Round me, people are losing their jobs left right and centre and only today, I have had yet another person speak to me about regular elder abuse in care homes. Front page stories about celebrities are an insult to the British public.

I wonder how Google’s smart software would populate a newspaper with its snippet and segmenting technology mixed with a dash of its context server? Maybe some day.

Stephen E Arnold, March 9, 2010

No one paid me to write this short item. I will report the fact of non payment to the Department of State, an outfit on top of activities in the United Kingdom.

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