Mercutio said:
I'd say that journalistic ethics are instilled in media professionals in their education. Some take that very seriously and some don't, just like those who learn any other kind of ethics.
I agree with you, Merc. Law or no law, journalistic integrity lies with the media professionals. If they choose to lie, the consequences are on their shoulders. If I were a journalist, I would feel a responsibility for accurate reporting. But that doesn't mean someone else would feel this way. They might be out for the glory of the sensationalized story, or may not care about their integrity.
And the ruling is not a surprise. We see legal loopholes all the time. Because legislation regarding the distortion of the news is a "policy" and not a hard and fast "law," Fox was able to, after several attempts, get their case reversed. How many times have we seen this scenario regarding other court cases. I'm not saying that I agree with the ruling, just that it's no big shocker.
As intellectual beings, we must realize that one single media outlet is not a viable source for our information. Looking at this court ruling, it is clear that we are not always being fed true and correct information. We have to learn to question what we think is questionable, not accept it for fact. I think we have seen the media distort the news for a long time. It is important to seek understanding from several sources, and then make educated conclusions based on these sources.
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