On Public Interest Journalism Special Pleading

I love Alison Gow’s blog, Headlines & Deadlines, because every few months she puts up a post that really nails an issue, and becomes essential reference for journalists from then on. Here’s another one:

I read a brief from the Society of Editors conference the other day where an editor- a mate of mine, actually – told his assembled audience:”What we produce is niche. Nobody else sits in our courts every day. Nobody else scrutinises our public bodies”. It’s stirring stuff and I’m sure his audience swelled with pride but it’s just not true.

Well worth reading her deconstruction of a lot of the “public service” special pleading that journalists are making right now.