While the President of the United States can spend all day telling lies that can be easily refuted by actual facts, news organisations that cover his bullshit have to make sure they have everything right before they ever get near publication or broadcast (and then get endless crap from that orange shithead in the White House about it anyway).
There have been many, many think-pieces in the past decade about the failing power of big news media and how new news sources like social media have disemboweled the old beasts, but if there is one thing the old guard have going for them, it's that they have exact standards to meet and can face severe punishments if they fail to do so.
Meanwhile, social media is full of unverified bullshit - something isn't true just because it's been endlessly shared - and when something is shown to be complete bullshit, there are rarely any more repercussions than a shrug from the audience, who goes on to click on the next piece of dishonest trash.
All news organisations with a staff of more than two people have to be bloody sure they get things right - for example, if anybody is going to try and name and shame the actress who bit Beyonce, they're going to be 120 percent sure they're naming the right fucking person. It's not just the threat of legal action if they get in wrong, it's a irreplaceable loss of credibility.
And this is just one small part of the accountability umbrella the whole business is covered by - there are plenty of things that are not acceptable in this industry and can lead to instant dismissal, such as plagiarism or making up stories, (although these things are actually fairly rare, because most people are smart enough to know its wrong, and others who might be tempted are still bright enough to know you can't get away with that shit).
There are, of course, some exceptions - column writers get to spout endless bullshit while hiding behind their keyboards, but that's not really news anyway; while some organisations let their staff get away with some amazingly awful shit - Fox News won't fire its odious news show presenters who think it's fine to attack teenagers who are sick of their schools getting shot up, even when those presenters go way over the fucking line.
But in general, there are so many checks and balances in place at newspapers, TV networks and radio stations, the errors are in the minimum. It is a major reason why all the columnists worried about Stuff's #metoonz need to check themselves before they wreck themselves, because there is no way the country's biggest news group is going to let fly with accusations without stacking them up.
It is arguable that journalists are more accountable and liable to pay the price for something that the powerful people they often interact with, and for a strong example of that, you only need to see the fall-out from the Hirschfeld/Curran breakfast meeting
After a long career as a distinguished journo, Hirschfeld had to resign from Radio NZ the other week over the meeting, while Curran remains in her job as both broadcasting minister and minister for open government, despite another mark in her long record of political incompetence and stupidity.
To be clear, it wasn't the meeting itself that led directly to Hirschfeld's resignation, that was a fuck-up that could be forgiven, but lying to your bosses about it and forcing them to lie to a select committee about it was unforgivable, and Carol had to go after that.
But it is another example of journos - especially those involved with public broadcasting in any way - paying the price for something they did, and paying it in the most public way possible. To hold onto its credibility, any news organisation is going to be extremely upfront and transparent about the measures it takes to set the record straight, because if it doesn't have that kind of credibility, it doesn't have anything.
There are still always going to be mistakes, and malicious errors, but when the whole industry can be tarnished by it, somebody is always going to be held accountable. It's just the way it works.
- Katherine Grant
Posts
