Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Alan Mutter's zero-tolerance policy

The normally-sane Alan Mutter has decided to ban all "media-bashing" comments from his blog.
The more the problems of the media mount, the more that newspaper-bashing comments are flowing to this blog. As of today, the media bashers can save themselves the trouble, because I will reject them, one and all.

He doesn't explain his motivation, other than he is sick of them. In the same post, he announces he has been appointed the faculty of U.C. Berkeley School of Journalism. It's his blog and he can handle comments however he wants. But it's a shame that a journalism professor has zero tolerance for criticism about journalism.
.
.
.

15 comments:

John Altevogt said...

According to the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists

"Be Accountable
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.

Journalists should:



— Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
— Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
— Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
— Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
— Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others."

Apparently Professor Mutter disagrees with the part about "Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media."

Anonymous said...

There's a difference between legitimate criticisms and schadenfreude, as in "woohoo, the Evil Liberal Media is doomed, I'm glad you people are losing your jobs."

If I had a blog I'd allow the former and nix the latter. One is productive, and one is not.

Anonymous said...

U.C. Berkeley School of Journalism

================

Explains everything perfectly right there.

Anonymous said...

Many of the comments did not agree with his new rules. Some of the posters chided him for calling the post he reference as a screed. In fact it was a well written opinion. Mutter has to run back to the far left to be accepted by the j-school faculty. I see how easily his integrity goes by the wayside. If he thinks he would rather be an “authentic” voice of pack journalism as they become extinct, knock yourself out man, knock yourself OUT!

Anonymous said...

Scratch Mutter’s 'Reflections of a Newsosaur' blog off the list. Just what journalism needs, another blind eyed professor, censuring free thought. Hey Alan, be sure and tell those students that their earning power might be in the poverty range. Staying under $25,000 keeps the IRS off your back, and under $20,000 gets you free cheese.

Anonymous said...

So Mutter, a lefty, can be bought? What was the question?

Anonymous said...

I seriously doubt that he was bought. More likely a group of his peers suggested he might not be open minded or enlightened enough to justify the righteous censorship necessary to included in their ranks.

Either that or they left him out of the focus group and threatened to exclude his kids from Obama Youth.

Anonymous said...

Mutter was greeted as someone who would get to the truth of the media dilemma. So much for that, he has become just another bobble head problem. That didn’t take long. He is just the one to teach tolerance for all opinions to students. Talk about a disappointing person.

Anonymous said...

Mutter would probably not appeal to the leftist whackjobs, he runs a tight ship comment-wise. We need them here anyway, to think they read this blog everyday is so REWARDING. We know they made a sorry mistake, and if they keep coming back, they know it also. They are crying out for help.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the ban on newspaper and newspaper mgt. bashing. We get it - we goofed, someone goofed. Craig's List ran away with the cheese, etc. Noted.
Now what. Those not lucky enuf to land a cosseted university job need to find somewhere to work.
I don;t need negative all day long. The wars and recession take care of that.
I need a gameplan, some mojo and some confidence.
Of, and a better sex life.
Show me that blog and I'll read it.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, me too. Find me a job. Puleeze!

I've been looking for months. Over qualified, not the right skills, too forceful, not selling myself hard enough. Whose got the answer????

Anonymous said...

Whose got the answer????



I do. Go back to school and don't use your paper as your last place of employment. Call yourself a free lancer or what ever. Even the Casinos will not hire you.

Anonymous said...

Whose got the answer????

When you fill in the app that your last job was journalism, the employers might think you are just filling in the time until the job you really want comes back. They wouldn’t care in the dime a dozen job category, but they don’t want to invest time in someone desperate for any job, and not likey to stay. I suggest you start low in a job you might adapt well to, and work your way up the ladder. You had the moxie to get through college, and your smarts and hard work might just surprise you. Drop the elitist crap, it is a killer attitude in the business world.

Anonymous said...

"We know they made a sorry mistake, and if they keep coming back, they know it also."

Ok, I'm a "leftist whackjob". What mistake is it I supposedly made?

Anonymous said...

Pruitt went to Berkeley too.