Measured Discourse

. 

Well, say what you think

“Exactly how many people have to be shot in cold blood before your paper rules that you can show us what provoked the killers? Apparently 23 shot including 11 dead is not enough. What absolute cowardice. These MSM managers act is if they are running insurance companies, not news organizations.” —Marc Cooper, University of Southern California journalism professor, in Facebook post criticizing New York Times’ decision not to publish Charlie Hebdo cartoons, Jan. 9, 2015

“Dear Marc, appreciate the self righteous second guessing without even considering there might be another point of view. Hope your students are more open minded. Asshole.”—Dean Baquet, executive editor, The New York Times, in Facebook response, Jan. 9, 2015

“Reached via email, Baquet told POLITICO: ‘Lots of people have disagreed with my decision. Some of them are in The Times. I get that. Mr Cooper’s comment was nasty and arrogant. So I told him what I thought.’”

—Dylan Byers, media writer, “Dean Baquet calls N.Y. Times critic ‘a--hole,’” POLITICO, Jan. 9, 2015 Image: “Paris Attacks: Millions rally for unity,” BBC/Reuters

• Editorial Comment: Ah, life in the age of reason.

PeezPix by Ted Pease 
 

Pier Patrol 






TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM is a free “service” sent to the 1,800 or so misguided subscribers around the planet. If you have recovered from whatever led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. But all contain at least a kernel of insight. Don’t shoot the messenger.) 
 
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard
.