> they are also taught to be ferocious in finding and corroborating information for its "truthiness"
Agree with the rest of what you said, except for this. Unless you said "truthiness" in quotes instead of truth (without quotes) to indicate this is a failing.
Today's so-called journalists are ideology merchants. Their fitness function is guided by such things as their ideological alignment (or indoctrination), that of the organization they work for (what do I have to say to keep my job?) or whatever it takes to get clicks.
Journalism has not been equated with truth-seeking in a long time. From my perspective, I see it as a disgraceful profession. In other words, if someone says "I am a journalist", I will assume they exist to sell lies and ideology, not to uncover the truth at all.
This is the only profession that enjoys constitutional protection (in the US).
What do they do with that protection? Elevate lies and misinformation to a virtue.
Given that our system of education does not produce people who are able to think critically, what you have are masses who believe what is being repeated by these puppet masters. Collectively and through their actions, they are damaging society in ways we have yet to discover.
I am certain this is not at all what the authors of the US constitution had in mind when they offered that protection.
Perhaps that's along the lines of what you meant when you said "truthiness", which sounds like a way to have a chuckle at the idea of them actually seeking truth at all.
let's apply that extremely broad comment to another group: computer scientists!
> Today's so-called journalists are ideology merchants
Today's so-called computer scientists are distraction merchants
> Their fitness function is guided by such things as their ideological alignment (or indoctrination), that of the organization they work for ... or whatever it takes to get clicks
Their fitness function is guided by such things as their financial incentives (or indoctrination), that of the organization they work for ... or whatever it takes to make money
> Journalism has not been equated with truth-seeking in a long time. From my perspective, I see it as a disgraceful profession.
Computer science has not been equated with technological advancement in a long time. From my perspective, I see it as a disgraceful profession.
> In other words, if someone says "I am a journalist", I will assume they exist to sell lies and ideology, not to uncover the truth at all.
In other words, if someone says "I am a developer", I will assume they exist to sell user data to the highest bidder, not to engage in any kind of technological pursuit.
> Given that our system of education does not produce people who are able to think critically, what you have are masses who believe what is being repeated by these puppet masters. Collectively and through their actions, they are damaging society in ways we have yet to discover.
>Journalism has not been equated with truth-seeking in a long time.
Why do you believe it was ever about truth-seeking?
My understanding of journalism specifically - and the flow of information generally - is that those in power have always sought to control it, and they were just as successful in the past, perhaps more so.
Agree with the rest of what you said, except for this. Unless you said "truthiness" in quotes instead of truth (without quotes) to indicate this is a failing.
Today's so-called journalists are ideology merchants. Their fitness function is guided by such things as their ideological alignment (or indoctrination), that of the organization they work for (what do I have to say to keep my job?) or whatever it takes to get clicks.
Journalism has not been equated with truth-seeking in a long time. From my perspective, I see it as a disgraceful profession. In other words, if someone says "I am a journalist", I will assume they exist to sell lies and ideology, not to uncover the truth at all.
This is the only profession that enjoys constitutional protection (in the US).
What do they do with that protection? Elevate lies and misinformation to a virtue.
Given that our system of education does not produce people who are able to think critically, what you have are masses who believe what is being repeated by these puppet masters. Collectively and through their actions, they are damaging society in ways we have yet to discover.
I am certain this is not at all what the authors of the US constitution had in mind when they offered that protection.
Perhaps that's along the lines of what you meant when you said "truthiness", which sounds like a way to have a chuckle at the idea of them actually seeking truth at all.