Journalism standards should be revised after the 2008 elections.

Would you agree that journalists should be required to conform to a truth code that is agreed among all professional journalists that states that they must tell the truth and if they tell a lie that their claim must be investigated?

I think we've all witnessed a barrage of lies here in the primary and the general election about the three main candidates that were thought to be possible candidates for Presidency-- Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain. We saw Hillary Clinton get smeared for her sniper fire comment. We saw Obama get smeared and then cleared. We've seen John McCain get smeared for the Palin troopergate incident. I think honestly if you're going to report the facts you should report them without a political spin but that's what a lot of news agencies are doing.

Would you like to see journalists conform to a new ethics standard and a new truth code following this year's election cycle? What do you think?

Really? You want them to revise their standards after the 2008 election? Personally, I would prefer a revision today. Journalism is a joke at this point, more than I have known it to be in the past. While I an infuriated by their willful complicity in the deception of the public, I can't help but pity them. It must be terrible to know that as a country was invaded or a genocide was perpetrated even further, you were reporting on Britney Spears' latest crotch-shot or the latest palatial purchase of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Yes, the journalism relating to this year's election has been terrible, but it is not a new development. The lies that are propagated from partisan lines are bad enough, but even that is trumped by their attempts to completely deflect from the subject at all. At least the subject of politics is on the mind, even if it is peppered with nothing but innuendo. What is worse is to choose to report on completely inane subjects that have no bearing upon the well-being of the public while the truly newsworthy is buried.

[edit on 12/10/08 by paperplanes]