> the point of having editorial standards is so they can be applied by the editor before publication...
“Ain't nobody got time for that”.
The role of journalists is to provide facts, but the business model of media in the internet age is about “creating content” and “engagement” and they don't work well together …
Even providing facts is a subjective, opinionated process. Which facts are provided, which are left out, which are contextualized, whether or not active or passive voice is used[1] and which are not can completely invert the meaning of a story.
[1] 'The gun went off and the shot hit Mr. Smith's head' versus 'Officer Sloan shot Mr. Smith in the head.' [2]
[2] Both of these are 'just the facts', but one of them blames the gun for going off, the other blames the person who made the gun go off. Passive voice versus active voice, very different presentation of the same facts, both are correct, and both are biased.
“Ain't nobody got time for that”.
The role of journalists is to provide facts, but the business model of media in the internet age is about “creating content” and “engagement” and they don't work well together …