KSFR, Santa Fe, NM lights a candle

Radio Station Cries 'Enough' -- Won't Quote From Certain News Stories Relying on Unnamed Officials

By Greg Mitchell

Published: February 13, 2007 10:55 PM ET

NEW YORK After the latest widely-publicized stories in national newspapers about weapons from Iran allegedly killing Americans in Iraq -- based completely on unnamed sources -- at least one smaller news outlet has had enough of it.

The news director of the public radio station in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has directed his staff to "ignore national stories quoting unnamed sources." He also called on other news outlets to join this policy.

Bill Dupuy sent the following to his news staff.
*

Effectively immediately and until further notice, it is the policy of KSFR's news department to ignore and not repeat any wire service or nationally published story about Iran, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia or any other foreign power that quotes an "unnamed" U.S. official.

What we have suspected and talked about at length before is now becoming clear. "High administration officials speaking on the condition of anonymity," "Usually reliable Washington sources," and others of the like were behind the publicity that added credibility to the need to go to war against Afghanistan and Iraq.

Our news department covers local news. But, like local newspapers and others, we occassionally are taken in by national stories that we have no way to verify.

This is a small news department with a small reach. We cannot research these stories ourselves. But we can take steps not to compromise our integrity. We should not dutifully parrot whatever comes out of Washington, on the
wire or by whatever means, no matter how intriguing and urgent it sounds, when the source is unnamed.

I am also calling on our colleagues in other local news departments -- broadcast and print -- to take the same professional approach.
Editor and Publisher
http://www(dot)editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003545357
 
Very cool - and the article is now up on the SotT page as well - sheesh, if only other small local media outlets would follow suit - the big ones never will, since they're owned by the PTB - but a little voice telling the truth now and again really can make a big difference.
 
Yes, reporters and journalists seem to have lost their gumption when it comes to investigating and checking. This is good news, hopefully some of them will get it back.
 
The sad fact of the matter is that most stations, even in some of the smaller markets, have been folded into the MSM Clear Channel, News Corp, or other big media conglomerate’s borg. They do not have the luxury of editorial discretion, as their programming is formulated in a city far away and prepackaged for air play.

KSFR is likely one of the few remaining stations that is independently owned, with a market share small enough to remain below the beast's media takeover radar. We can only hope that more small stations will take this ball and run with it, but the FCC relaxing of media ownership regulations, a few years ago, was not done without a reason. Any station with significant demographics was quietly absorbed into the mega-media corporate structure. We are now seeing the same dynamic applied to the internet.

The significant segment of the US population is currently assured to receive only the scripted gruel issued forth by the Ministry of Truth.
 
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