If I Had My Way

 

To:       Jeff Jarvis - jeff@buzzmachine.com

Cc:       Glenn Greenwald - GGreenwald@salon.com

Cc:       Paul Krugman - (Address unknown, please forward)

Cc:       Doc Searls - dsearls@cyber.law.harvard.edu

Cc:       Dave Winer - dave.winer@gmail.com

Cc:       Jay Rosen - jr3@nyu.edu

From:  Doug Skoglund - skoglund@pdmsb.com

Date:   Wednesday, Jul 20, 2011 

Subject: My Way XXXIII - Hypocrisy(3)...

Congratulations, Jeff, your latest, "PR and corruption theater," is a step in  the right direction.

Today was about public relations -- but not about the public.

What was exposed in Parliament during the Murdochs' testimony wasn't necessarily News Corp. -- we shall see what happens to it -- but instead the cozy, closed ties between institutional journalism and institutional government. The corruption of their close links was what was most shocking about today: news executives and politicians at lunch and spas and sporting events; news executives hired by politicians and police to give advice and spin their ex-colleagues; news reporters paying police; news executives sneaking through the back door to the seat of power; government officials being protected from hearing too much about the dirty work of news.....

Can this institutional incest survive the Murdoch affair? We'd better not allow it -- we, the public. 

Remember, my post, "My Way XXX - Hypocrisy(2)..." dated Jul 11, where I concluded:

Sorry, Jeff, but WE need to ask what WE will do to correct the cause of News Corp's corrupt culture.

Obviously, I am happy to see you using the "WE" expression; however, you still have a ways to go. This problem is NOT about public relations, it is about that "institutional journalism." And you are part of that problem.

You might say that "public relations" is a symptom, while "Institutional journalism" is a cause -- you don't treat symptoms,  you treat causes -- the medical profession understands that bit of wisdom.

And, as Dr. Phil might say, "You can't solve a problem until you take ownership of the problem -- accept responsibility for your contribution to the problem."

How about it?? Are you guys ready to start discussing solutions.

Doug Skoglund skoglund@pdmsb.com

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