Letters to the Editor
Jebbie
Published Letters: 1093
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-- Chris Michie
[Read the article: The NYT's Michael Cooper demonstrates what real reporting is]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You're late for your meds, Dude.
We have to put up with Shooter because he's like the housecat but your nonsense is something entirely different.
Find a new rock.
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-- Herbert Gintis
[Read the article: The NYT's Michael Cooper demonstrates what real reporting is]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"It is not the job of the journalist to assess the truth or falsehood of assertions."
I disagree. It is the job of a journalist to make reasonable efforts to ensure that what he writes as "news" is, in fact, truthful. The use of multiple sources is one method of determining the truthfulness of something, documentation is another.
Thus, if a source tells the journalist that the sun comes up in the west, it is not enough for the journalist to include a statement from a different source that the sun comes up in the east. The job of the journalist is to assign weight to each statement and announce the results of his investigation to his readership. Thus, the journalist, when given differing stories about which direction to look to see a rising sun should take the time to actually look in both directions when the sun is rising and report the results to his readership. He need not ignore the obviously false information given by one source (or a dozen sources) but he should make a reasonable effort to ascertain the truthfulness of the source's claim and report the results of that effort.
In the case of Klein, the "journalist" obviously made no attempt to ascertain the accuracy of what his source claimed. Had he done even the rudimentary work of reading the proposed bill and if he didn't understand it gotten legal advise from a reasonably independent party, he wouldn't be in the fix he now finds himself.
You see, a journalist is, in the end, nothing more than a source. A journalist is only as good as his product and, frankly, Klein's product leaves a lot to be desired. He has earned the title of "Unreliable" and that title will (and should) rub off on his employer.
It's a good thing for America that his editor is leaving. Joe should consider leaving also.
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By the way
[Read the article: The NYT's Michael Cooper demonstrates what real reporting is]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is not necessary for a fire fueled by Jet fuel (kerosene) to melt steel. All that is required is that the heat generated by the fire (fueled by kerosene, building materials, furniture, etc., be hot enough to weaken the steel which remained after some of the structure was destroyed by the collision with a large aircraft.
Gravity did the rest.
I had the honor of working in the 72nd floor of WTC#2 for several years during the 1980s and from that experience gained a rudimentary knowledge of how the building was constructed. My co-employees were mostly from the field of engineering (civil/structural, electrical, nuclear, etc.) and we had numerous discussions of the subject over lunch, especially on days during which the building was obviously swaying (the creaking was noticeable) in the wind. I have, since 9-11, had the opportunity to revisit these discussions with several of the civil/structural engineers I worked with and to a man (and a couple of women), they totally agreed with the finding described in the official report of the collapse.
Skeptics - find thee a new horn to honk.