I define Bullshit Journalism as: reporting on issues where you are not an expert and/or do not bother taking the time to read up on the issue you are reporting on.
In this particular case of North Korea I feel that David Axe drifted off course and into the realm of Bullshit Journalism. He parroted information without intelligent thought and clearly out of context. His journalistic peers not reporting as he did supports my point. Not like North Korea is a serious issue or anything. David is lucky there’s no dead bodies on his conscience.
An Apology or Insult?
Below is an apology I pulled off of David Axe’s blog War is Boring. (War is Boring? A lot of dead terrorists might disagree I suspect)
“If Tolley truly did speak hypothetically, as he and the Pentagon now claim, then I misunderstood him – and I regret that. If I had known more about the politics of the Koreas going into Tolley’s presentation, I probably would have been more skeptical. That’s my fault. Just because U.S. Special Operations Forces are present in 77 countries (according to SOCOM Adm. Bill McRaven) and just because the U.S. routinely violates the sovereignty of nations such as Pakistan and Iran, does not necessarily mean we do that same in North Korea.” – David Axe
A note to the budding military journalist and David Axe
Photo Credit: Olivia
Best you do your homework when you are reporting on serious issues, sometimes one small person wields a big gun, so be careful to check your bullet path to make sure you don’t hit an un-intended target and draw friendly fire.
You can learn a few lessons from how the fashion media and Katie Grand operates. They have an uncanny knack for getting things right, or else…off with your head.
Think about breaking the trend of “parrot” reporting and actually doing your homework before you push out a report regardless of if “it’s the standard”. You and your wannabe war journalist buddies are on a lot of peoples’ radar screens right now, mine included. It takes more than an embed and a few trips to the Middle East to earn the respect of the people I run with.
Continue to thumb your faked hipster nose at this and you may find yourself in a different kind of Danger Room then the one at Wired magazine.
See you in July for beers if you’re still up for it.
Brandon
The Consequences of Bad Journalism: 17 Dead
Newsweek Example From Wikipedia:
Newsweeks April 30th, 2005 issue contained a report asserting that United States prison guards or interrogators had deliberately damaged a copy of Islam’s holiest book, the Quran. A week later, Hendrik Hertzberg wrote in The New Yorker, reporting the words of Pakistani politician Imran Khan “This is what the U.S. is doing – desecrating the Koran.”
This incident caused major upset in parts of the Muslim world.
‘For five days, nothing. Then, on May 6th, Khan, in a press conference in Islamabad, waved a copy of the offending issue and thundered, “This is what the U.S. is doing – desecrating the Koran.” And, rhetorically addressing Musharraf: “This war on terrorism is self-defeating if, on the one hand, you are demanding that we help them” – that is, us -“and, on the other hand, they are desecrating the book on which our entire faith is based.” Khan’s remarks were broadcast repeatedly throughout the Muslim world. The riots began on May 10th; in Afghanistan, seventeen people died and more than a hundred were injured.’
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