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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2011)
Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone
After all the flogging by self-important flagellants in some of the mainstream media it is refreshing and encouraging to see Robert Schlesinger of US News and World Report agree with those of us who have asked for caution and reason in reporting on the tragic murders and injuries in Arizona. While others were ready to blame all manner of parties and groups, Mr. Schlesinger seriously tried to urge his fellow media types and hypes away from premature blame assignment.
Perhaps some of the MSM paid attention, but many … maybe most, rushed headlong into the blame game and joined the formation at the fourth down and 15 yard line to make a touchdown or at least a field goal with the story, but with little thought toward responsibility. Maybe we can do the cretins a favor by showing them what Schlesinger elected to carry out. After filling in the first parts of the story, Mr. Schlesinger says:
This last is an especially important point right now. People are pointing out that Giffords’s 2010 opponent had an M-16 rifle shooting event to rally supporters against her over the summer; and that the congresswoman was on Sarah Palin’s famous congressional target list, illustrated with cross-hairs aimed at congressional districts on a map of the United States. Speculation has already begun that this murderer must be a right-winger, a gun nut, a Tea Partyer. And they very well may be. Or their twisted reasons for this act could be unrelated to politics or come from a different political view. But right now we just don’t know.
We’ll find out soon enough. But leaping immediately to assign political blame to this tragedy distracts from and cheapens this morning’s events by making them yet another act in a political process that seems ready to spin out of control at the margins.
The story continues and from my perch, it really seems Schlesinger does his level best to point the MSM in the proper direction:
There will be time for politics. When the shooter’s story comes out we will all have the opportunity to argue about what drove them to this heinous act and—if these speculations are born out—examine whether our politics really has spun out of control at the fringe and to what extent the wink, nod, and dog whistle crowd in the mainstream are culpable for this.
Now we know, precious few writing about yet another sorry story in our history, elected to follow the path trusted to them. Instead, they were invested in the biggest story and quickest spin they could deliver to an American public, with some of the public ready to accept the spin spectacle as truth.
There is more to the story and you can access it from here. You’ll also see updates to the story. A little message for the rest of the reporter guys and gals — if Mr. Schlesinger should ever teach a journalism class, consider taking it until you get it.
Thanks Robert Schlesinger and US News and World Report (refreshing indeed)
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