The Guardian asked the question: Why can't we agree on what’s true anymore? This week the Shop Talk panelists examine that question.
The Guardian wrote, “If there is one thing on which virtually everyone is agreed, it is that the news and information we receive is biased. Every second of every day, someone is complaining about bias…
“These complaints and controversies take up a growing share of public discussion.”
The Shop Talk panelists used part of the program to discuss the issue of who should be considered a journalist. They’re concerned that viewers, readers, and listeners consider commentators to be journalists. The Shop Talk crew said the cable TV networks have found they can make money by giving a platform to commentators who rile up the audience while playing loose with the facts. They said that isn’t journalism but it is possible some people view it as such.
The panelists also pointed out that anyone with an internet connection can widely distribute their thoughts with no regard to accuracy or verifiable information.
Shop Talk is a weekly panel discussion about journalism issues. This week’s program featured Will Buss, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University and advises the student editors at the Western Courier, the students at student radio station The Dog, and the WIU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists; Rajvee Subramanian, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University; and TSPR News Director Rich Egger.
