Low Expectations Abound

Ok, just the other day I was convicted that my disgust with Newsweek was slightly misplaced. I have such low expectations of Arab Muslims that any report such as the one about the flushed Koran seems to beg for riots and death. So I was convinced that I ought to raise my expectations and place my disgust with the riotous murderers who perpetrate this kind of bizarre reaction. The idea that paper being flushed down a toilet should result in death to anyone is really bizarre.

I’m still somewhat disgusted with Newsweek, as with CBS and several other “news” agencies who seem to be so blinded by a specific agenda that they can’t even perceive their own bias. But, let’s raise the bar on Arab Muslims just a tad huh?

Now it’s time to raise the bar on news agencies as well. The pictures published by the Sun seem to be aimed at the incarcerators. It’s as if there is an expectation that any punishment ought to be meted out on the photographer, or the person who sold the pictures to the Sun. The Sun itself cannot be culpable for it’s actions, it is merely doing what a newspaper does, publishes. It asks no value questions whatever. It asks no justice questions, it simply puts things into print that it believes will sell papers.

It’s time for news agencies to have some responsibility. We need to raise the bar of expectations for newspapers, magazines, television. Agencies must be responsible for the things they do. If these pictures are truly a violation of Geneva convention then the Sun is among those responsible for the violation. There may be a legitimate reason for the photographs to have been taken, but the violation is in printing them which lies with the Sun.