The Goat Pen

Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor. As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space. Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions. I was always taught that journalists were charged with writing the first rough draft of history. Now, history itself is one more ephemeral thing molded to fit the needs of a predetermined narrative.

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All this bodes ill, especially for independent-minded young writers and editors paying close attention to what they'll have to do to advance in their careers. Rule One: Speak your mind at your own peril. Rule Two: Never risk commissioning a story that goes against the narrative. Rule Three: Never believe an editor or publisher who urges you to go against the grain. Eventually, the publisher will cave to the mob, the editor will get fired or reassigned, and you'll be hung out to dry.

sardis wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:40 am Dems are not opening schools for political reasons. They don't care about the kids. There is no scientific basis for school not to open. Even Europe is letting kids go to school.

https://news.yahoo.com/german-study-fin ... 04005.html

aTm wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:33 am Her contention is pretty much that we've reached the point where all media is subject to the whims of the equivalent of CNNSI Sysops.

aTm wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:33 am Her contention is pretty much that we've reached the point where all media is subject to the whims of the equivalent of CNNSI Sysops.

hedge wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 12:54 pm

aTm wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:33 am Her contention is pretty much that we've reached the point where all media is subject to the whims of the equivalent of CNNSI Sysops.

Or you, in here...

bluetick wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:34 am

sardis wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:40 am Dems are not opening schools for political reasons. They don't care about the kids. There is no scientific basis for school not to open. Even Europe is letting kids go to school.

https://news.yahoo.com/german-study-fin ... 04005.html

That sounds good - 12 cases out of 2,000 - 0.5 percent. Almost as good as Germany's total cases of 200,000....they average 2-300 new cases a day.

I think The Telegraph is pre-disposed to want to open schools in the UK though. Not all news organizations see it that way. UK cases stack up pretty bad with Germany's, as does ours of course.

BACK TO SCHOOL - Schools Reopening UK LIVE: But Parents Keep 1 Million Students Home The SUN - UK edition june 1,2020

Primary school children in the UK are today returning to the classroom But data suggests 1 million pupils were kept home by parents - with some still concerned about health risks. According to the National Foundation for Educational Research, heads in England are expecting nearly half (46%) of families to keep their children at home. It suggests that of the more than 2 million students in reception, year 1 and year 6 classes, about 1 million stayed at home.

Even Europe is letting kids go to school.

A closer look at the events surrounding Bari Weiss’ resignation suggests she omitted some critical details about her toxic presence inside the paper, and may have staged her resignation to drum up publicity for her next move.

By Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton

Neoconservative New York Times columnist Bari Weiss quit the newspaper on July 14. In a resignation letter published on her personal website, the pundit lamented a supposed “illiberal environment” at the publication in which Weiss’ colleagues mocked her right-wing views, supposedly called her “a Nazi and a racist,” and branded her a “liar and a bigot.”

Weiss’ unexpected departure came days after the hawkish columnist signed a letter in Harper’s Magazine lamenting an “intolerance of opposing views” and demanding an “open debate” in the US media.

The signatories complaining of a “censoriousness” environment included architects of disastrous US military interventions, anti-Palestinian fanatics, and some of the most powerful people in the media, including many who have spent decades censoring anyone to the left of them – and even attempting to cancel entire countries.

Tree wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:54 pm

Even Europe is letting kids go to school.

You mean those other countries that haven't bungled their handling of covid-19 as bad as the US has are able to open their schools? Gee wonder why.

bluetick wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:31 am Our county school system has already announced that parents have the option of sending their kids to school or continue with online learning when classes begin next month. And we fare better than most in TN cases-wise.