[Foundation-l] They do make or break reputations

Sun Jul 10 01:07:43 UTC 2011

If only I could be so sanguine; I cannot disagree with Fred's first 
paragraph, but as regards his second I must take issue. For a start, current 
events should be covered by Wikinews, and subsequent *encyclopedic" 
treatment of those events be dealt with in analytic terms and in retrospect, 
by Wikipedia. That is why we have two projects, and not one. As regards the 
stance of the British government towards the media in this case, and in 
previous cases, it's clear to me that there is a dislocation between the 
two- and in my experience, the government has long since lost the support of 
the media, except in most general terms, and that is why we have the term 
"spin-doctor". It's a two-way process, and not a new one, and where I am, I 
cannot see any way in which the division of reponsibility to the citizen is 
to be resolved. TBH, the relationship between politicians and the media, and 
both of them have their suspect agendas, is always going to be problematic, 
and all we should do as documenters of what happens is to perhaps stand back 
for a while, and when the dust has settled,

WRITE A FUCKING ENCYCLOPEDIA!

Why is that a problem?

Fred Bauder wrote:
> Speaking of the British tabloids, of course.
>
> https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/world/europe/10britain.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=globasasa2
>
> The lesson for us is to not take a leading position, be topical, but
> to report events which have occurred and on which there is some sort
> of considered opinion and a set of known facts, even if it takes a
> day or two for them to develop. In the case of these tabloids its
> going to take months.
>
> The power of topical media is two-edged, seemingly exceedingly
> powerful, king-makers, but, as anyone familiar with our limited
> resources knows, quite weak if under serious attack, as is being
> shown in the case of the principals involved in this crisis. The
> British government is sick of kowtowing to them and seems to have
> just been waiting for an opportunity.
>
> Fred
>
>
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