Monday, May 16, 2005
Newsweek's Seppuku -- A Good First Step
As regular readers know, Andromeda is dedicated to the highest standards in journalistic ethics. Well, "dedicated" is probably a little strong, since, technically, we're dedicated to the proposition that all galaxies are created equal. Except M102. And "standards," well, you have to take that loosely, since there really are no journalistic standards for blogs. And "ethics," isn't that just subjective, anyway?
But the point is, our motto is: Chekc the facts, chekc the facts, and then chekc again! Admittedly, except for the exclamation point, it's not a very inspiring motto. Personally, I wanted "Live Long and Proper" based on the Vulcan thing, but I couldn't think of a hand gesture which signified propriety. For "chekc the facts," we hold an index finger primly in the air. Which is nice, as far as it goes.
But the point is, ethics or not, lame motto or not, at least nothing we have said here has led to any deaths. OK, sure, the "Kill Tom Humpredinck of Butte Fork, Florida, He Gets Home At Seven" piece we did a few months ago resulted in the horrifying death of Englebert Humperdinck through autoerotic butt-forking, but we did issue an apology and eventually a retraction. And an apology for the retraction, which, somehow, was interpreted as a fatwa. And, finally, a formal withdrawal of the fatwa. Even then, rather than accepting our apology, the White House said it was puzzled.
But the point is not whether a popular singer from the sixties is a heretic whose highly offensive and imaginative mis-uses of the Holy Book of the Molemen cry out for a ritual shrimp-forking, no, that's not the point. The point is we have to change our motto. All this fact-checking has created a bottle-neck from the blogging point of view, no matter how many lives it may save.
This will be decided, as always, by elbow-on-hand applause meter:
1. No Whine Before Its Time
2. Made-Up Facts Are Still "Facts"
3. Please Do Not Kill Anybody Because Of What We Write (Except Tom Humpredinck of Butte Fork, Florida)
4. Quality: Not Just A Word ... Anymore
5. Shrimp Forks: America's Most Over-Looked Fork
But the point is, our motto is: Chekc the facts, chekc the facts, and then chekc again! Admittedly, except for the exclamation point, it's not a very inspiring motto. Personally, I wanted "Live Long and Proper" based on the Vulcan thing, but I couldn't think of a hand gesture which signified propriety. For "chekc the facts," we hold an index finger primly in the air. Which is nice, as far as it goes.
But the point is, ethics or not, lame motto or not, at least nothing we have said here has led to any deaths. OK, sure, the "Kill Tom Humpredinck of Butte Fork, Florida, He Gets Home At Seven" piece we did a few months ago resulted in the horrifying death of Englebert Humperdinck through autoerotic butt-forking, but we did issue an apology and eventually a retraction. And an apology for the retraction, which, somehow, was interpreted as a fatwa. And, finally, a formal withdrawal of the fatwa. Even then, rather than accepting our apology, the White House said it was puzzled.
But the point is not whether a popular singer from the sixties is a heretic whose highly offensive and imaginative mis-uses of the Holy Book of the Molemen cry out for a ritual shrimp-forking, no, that's not the point. The point is we have to change our motto. All this fact-checking has created a bottle-neck from the blogging point of view, no matter how many lives it may save.
This will be decided, as always, by elbow-on-hand applause meter:
1. No Whine Before Its Time
2. Made-Up Facts Are Still "Facts"
3. Please Do Not Kill Anybody Because Of What We Write (Except Tom Humpredinck of Butte Fork, Florida)
4. Quality: Not Just A Word ... Anymore
5. Shrimp Forks: America's Most Over-Looked Fork
