[Husker] Pederson (fwd)

[Mike Nolan]

> > > If anyone cares to read an objective article about Pederson.

It is a myth that newspapers have objective reporting.  Every writer
selects facts to stress and facts to ignore, and that introduces at least
some amount of bias into the story.  The story reaches a conclusion that
the writer has already reached in his or her own mind.  

The choice of which quotes to use also introduces selectivity into the piece.  

Even the choice of what stories to write or publish can reflect the bias of 
those making those choices.  

About the best that can be hoped for in any news story is that the writer 
lets the story go in the direction the research takes it.  However, 
the research process is also non-objective in nature.  Do you think 
the writer spent more time talking to coaches and other athletic department
personnel who have been fired by SP (here or at Pitt) or players who 
left either school, or those who were more likely to have positive things 
to say about SP, such as those who had been hired or promoted by SP?

In fact, there were no direct quotes from anyone other than SP, though
there were implied ones, such as in the phrase:  "It was apparent to 
most observers that change was necessary..."

Some stories are more objective than others, or at least are perceived
that way.  Do people think CBS News went after Osborne?  Or the Boston
Globe?  Were those stories designed to be critical of Osborne and the
Huskers, focusing on the negatives rather than 20+ years of positives?  

I'm not saying the North Platte Telegraph piece was all puffery, but 
saying it was objective reporting is a bit of a stretch to me.
--
Mike Nolan