One of the changes that I’m going to try on my blog is doing a Thursday Thoughts. Between the blogs that I follow, the various Twitters I follow, things that friends post on Facebook and then things that I just stumble upon myself, I end up reading quite a few interesting articles/seeing interesting videos/etc. I figured that it could be something different to post up on my blog, say a little bit about what I think on each piece and people can discuss their thoughts in the comments. Just something to break up all the photo posts and to add a little bit of variety to my blog.
The first one is the above video about CNET senior writer Greg Sandoval quitting his job because the parent company, CBS, asked him to revoke an award he had given to Dish Network’s Hopper.
There’s more information in the above video (as well as here), but one of the things that the video says that I find interesting is that: this happens more often than people think. They say at one point that there are advertisers who have nothing to sell, nothing you can buy at a store or really consume, that spend a lot of money to have their name on their because the company will be a lot less likely to run a negative story on that company. Which says something about the media that we consume and how that’s not just true for companies. It applies to politics, something that we expect our media to report truthfully about.
On one hand, I don’t think that that’s an earth shattering surprise and that, on some level, people acknowledge that this happens. However, on the other, I think that that says a lot about the way that our news has evolved. Journalism is supposed to be there to tell us about what’s going on in the world. To be unbiased and tell us the facts. That was something that was always stressed about in our Ethics classes: was that you needed to find that balance of being there and present, but of also being able to pull away and to not be a part of what was happening, to be someone observing and then relaying what was happening to other people.
Obviously the companies need the advertisers to continue, they need that money. But, as much as it might be difficult, they also need to be impartial and to not let that stop them from reporting what’s going on.
The good thing to take away from this is: Sandoval quit his job (which is why this is making the news like it is) because, according to his twitter, “I no longer have confidence that CBS is committed to editorial independence.” That’s a good thing because it means that there are journalists out there who are willing to do that because they want to be known as honest journalists, something that Ana Kasparian emphasizes at the very end of the video. And I think that that’s something to hold on to.
Things I’m Loving:
+ These tools – (Because we’re always looking for ways to make life easier and more organized and manageable. I’ll be testing a few of these out.)
+ These photographs – (I haven’t really gotten into the HDR photography deal (yet, you never know) but these are stunning. They definitely make London pop off the screen in a new way.)
+ This recipe – (I don’t think I’m brave enough to try to make macarons and probably won’t be for awhile, but if and when I am, these will be the ones I make.)
+ These tips – (I don’t own my own place, and probably won’t for awhile, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll let money saving tips pass me by, either.)
Blue Eyed Sight 