A Mixed Media Report Card

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The Media is just like any other product or service provider. It is subject to competition and as such, has to design new ways of selling its product and attracting sponsors/advertisers. Just factual and complete reporting events do not do it anymore. There has to be some pizzazz, some eye and mind catching gimmicks to sell papers or news programs. Jus5t recently in the Washington Post there was an article regarding most news media organizations are leaving Iraq. Why? Not enough violence or coalition forces being killed or wounded? No news in nation building and the initial workings of a democratic process? Sensationalism and gimmicks is the news media today. I do not believe most of what I read in newspapers. They have become so biased to a party or position that most news articles are slanted. Only Congress is lower in my estimate for professionalism and truth than the general news media.

joe angsten of VA 1:25PM October 22, 2008

Thanks for your inclusion of the "Mrs. O'Leary's cow" comment in your note. It applies to present day Congressional efforts to "solve" the current financial and constitutional crises. A news article or report could not contain this comment and be objective, but it certainly would be a fair and accurate assesment. Fortunately, Chicago recovered from Mrs. O'Leary's cow's exploits. As well, present day Chicagoans do not have to experience bovine bladder and bowel eliminations associated with stock yards. Hopefully, taxpayers and voters can someday enjoy political processes void of bovine waste. ( I don't think Mrs. O'Leary's cow could have hit the broadside of the barn even with its best efforts.)

Stephen E. Trebaol of 6:03PM October 03, 2008

I was introduced to US News and World Report in my public high school US History class in Albany, GA. Our semi-retired teacher was the beloved J.O. Allen, then 72 years old (he died the next year), a graduate of Columbia University who had spent his life as a leader in education. Of all that he gave us, one of the most valuable teachings was how to debate issues, using as a springboard the pro-and-con pages of US News, which were then a standard feature. Those lessons, and the standards presented to us for quality journalism and objective analysis of issues, have served me well for more than 50 years. After a 30-year career in education myself, I now work privately as a coach and mentor, and some of my clients have been university students, including many from other countries. As I work with them to bring their English up to an advanced level, I also help them to improve their critical/logical thinking skills, as well as to understand US culture and where each of us fits in the global context of today's world. To get them reading in English beyond their textbooks, I often introduce the younger/beginning students to the Reader's Digest. When they are ready, I suggest that they subscribe to US News, and discussing its contents helps us to continue building their conceptual base and understanding of both US and world issues. While your news magazine may vary in quality, it is consistently better than most of those that reach the general public.
The gist of my experience with US News and with the media in general: the oft-quoted-- and today too-often ignored-- idea that "we are all in this together." Education, not just dispensing information, will always be a (the?) primary responsibility, shared by all, in any viable democracy. The media is of course a major player, along with our families, schools, libraries, and museums, in sifting through the ever-expanding masses of information heaped upon us. This broad concept of education is one in which we are helped to measure quality, set priorities, and formulate our goals. It also helps us learn how to nurture ourselves, guard our health, and contribute to the common good--and thus to survive and grow as a civil society. I would hope that you could hold uppermost in mind always such a vision of your responsibility to partner in educating the public. I am grateful for your efforts so far, as I know what difficult issues and pressures you face in dealing with such a fragmented and vociferous bunch of "students" as we are. So, thank you, and keep up the good work...as we edge our way--or are plunged--into an ever-uncertain future!

RosaLee Mitchell of CO 3:34PM September 30, 2008

The guy with the ALL CAPS has a good idea (though why he had to shout it in all caps rather escapes me). I for one would like to see a little more reporting from flyover U.S.A. Getting news from coasts is easy, everybody's covering that, but what's happening in between? I'm talking places such as Texas, Idaho, Ohio, Iowa, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Utah, and (dare I say it?) Pennsylvania. I think it might be wise to keep an eye on the places from which most of our food and resources come.
I realize living in these places can be a drag for journalism school grads, but there must be someone in these areas who can put words together to make a coherent sentence. While it would be roughing-it to live here, there is U.S. Mail delivery, UPS, booze, cable or satellite TV, movies, satellite radio, and (at least I've heard rumors of this) the internet. At worst, they could send up the raw information and you could rewrite it and post the more important stories.
If you're already doing something like this, forget I said anything. I'll go back quietly to my hobbit hole and read Rommel.

Walt of PA 9:03AM September 29, 2008

AS A LONG TIME SUBSCRIBER I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT SENDING REPORTERS OUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE--NOT FOR WHO THEY ARE FOR---BUT WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ARE AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES.....YOU WOULD GO TO THE LARGE AS WELL AS THE SMALL CITIES AND TOWNS AND GET THEIR GUT FEELINGS AND IDEAS AS TO WHAT THEY FEEL SHOULD BE OR CAN BE DONE TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY WHAT IT ONCE WAS AND IS NOT NOW...INTERVIEW THEM IN THEIR HOMES AND ON THEIR JOBS EVEN RIGHT ON THE STREETS.......WE ARE TALKING G.U.T. FEELINGS!!!!
NEVER MIND FINDING WHY THINGS ARE BUT FINDING HOW THINGS COULD BE MADE BETTER....
YOU MIGHT EVEN OFFER A PRIZE FOR THE BEST IDEAS THAT CAN BE SENT TO THEIR CONGRESSMAN AND PUBLISH THE RESPONSE FROM THAT CONGRESSMAN..
YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS WOULD BE APPRECIATED...

GARY A. PETERS of IL 11:39PM September 27, 2008

AS A LONG TIME SUBSCRIBER I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT SENDING REPORTERS OUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE--NOT FOR WHO THEY ARE FOR---BUT WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ARE AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES.....YOU WOULD GO TO THE LARGE AS WELL AS THE SMALL CITIES AND TOWNS AND GET THEIR GUT FEELINGS AND IDEAS AS TO WHAT THEY FEEL SHOULD BE OR CAN BE DONE TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY WHAT IT ONCE WAS AND IS NOT NOW...INTERVIEW THEM IN THEIR HOMES AND ON THEIR JOBS EVEN RIGHT ON THE STREETS.......WE ARE TALKING G.U.T. FEELINGS!!!!
NEVER MIND FINDING WHY THINGS ARE BUT FINDING HOW THINGS COULD BE MADE BETTER....
YOU MIGHT EVEN OFFER A PRIZE FOR THE BEST IDEAS THAT CAN BE SENT TO THEIR CONGRESSMAN AND PUBLISH THE RESPONSE FROM THAT CONGRESSMAN..
YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS WOULD BE APPRECIATED...

GARY A. PETERS of IL 11:37PM September 27, 2008

I hope you can bring back the "fairness and objectivity" that I felt US News was known for over the years. Over the last year I've felt that reporters bias has shown up in various articles. A recent example in the Sept. 29 - Oct. 6 issue occurred on page 16 in the Q&A by Justin Ewers. The question "What did you make of the catty remarks at the Republican convention about community organizing?" was not objective and showed the authors bias. As a minimum I would have thought the word "catty" would have been removed prior to publication.

Michael Hutchinson of FL 10:26PM September 25, 2008

I have enjoyed U.S. News and World Report for years. But I haven't seen there or anywhere else the great contribution made by USA for Democracy in other counytries and the prosperity it has brought to Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc. Democracy in Russia (major role played by President Reagan, when he raised the ante in the missile competition), and in Iraq & Afghanistan (brought by President Bush) are works in progress. But we should not be so impatient. It takes a generation, about thirty years, before democracy takes hold. Even in USA it took many decades before large sections of the population (Women and African-Americans) got voting rights.
We need to recognize Lincoln's idea of government by the people, of the people, for the people as a fundamental human right for all humans. Any country violating this right should be required to pay an autocracy duty on goods imported from them. A commission consisting of the UN Secretary General and leaders like Carter & Mandela could detrmine whether this human right is violated. This is the only way to bring peace, to end poverty and terrorism. The extra cost of importing goods from democratic countries would be compensated by less money spent on foreign aid and on antiterrorism.

Dr. Krishna Kumar of TN 4:22PM September 25, 2008

The words "you just have to trust that we're trying to make it balance out in the end" rings pretty hollow. Why would your readers think you would suddenly "balance it out in the end"? You never have before and I seriously doubt you will in the future. Why in the world would an "unbiased" magazine write an article about a Republican candidate and spend the last quarter of the article discussing what the Democrats think of that candidate and yet you would never, ever do that to a Democrat candidate? Your magazine "is" biased and the average reader can see right through your hype about how unbiased your magazine. I have decided to let my subscription run out in the spring and find something else to read over breakfast.

Mark Stevens of MI 10:37AM September 25, 2008

I have the September 29 issue in my hand. Let's see what we have for objectivity and fairness.
P. 26 -- Michael Barone tells us that "The old rule economic distress moves voters toward Democrats doesn't seem to be operating."
p. 32 -- Ken Walsh tells us "McCain's POW buddies present a strong case."
p. 28 -- Gloria Borger tells all McCain needs to do is "make us believe the real problem is the corrupt system and the corrupt pols and that (he) will clean up both.
p. 38 -- Fouad Ajami tells us that "there is will and design in what Bush bequeaths to his successor."
It would seem, Mr Kelly, that your magazine's political inclinations are pretty clear.

N Morrill of CA 2:14AM September 25, 2008