There are some kinds of stories that our local newspapers routinely distort. For instance, when there were competing rallies in Bellevue in August, 2003, the Seattle Times and the King County Journal gave their readers no idea just how extreme some of the anti-Bush demonstrators were. (The PI, to its credit, did.)
It is not always convenient for me (or the other contributors here) to cover such stories in person. But I can — sometimes — write up those stories, if someone else provides the pictures. For example, it would most likely be instructive to contrast the pictures used by the PI and the Times showing today's immigration rally in Seattle, with a more representative set.
If you would be interested in helping cover such stories by providing pictures, email me, preferably before the event, and I'll see if we can work something out.
Finally, I should add that, as I have said before, that I would much rather do analysis and commentary than original reporting. But the consistent failures of our local journalists — on some subjects — requires someone to correct their mistakes, and to fill in the gaps in their coverage.
("Zombietime" has more examples of the kinds of pictures I am looking for. And this observation about a recent rally in San Francisco shows why we need independent coverage:
But the media, predictably, steered clear of anyone who wasn't camera-friendly for a mainstream audience; this NBC camera crew, for example, purposely plucked out of the crowd a nice young woman with a tight shirt who looked like she might say something to make the event appear palatable.
Even if that kind of selection doesn't convey the whole truth to the audience.)
Posted by Jim Miller at April 10, 2006 08:55 AM | Email This