If it’s not a fact why don’t you say so?

Today I was listening to NPR at work while they were interviewing a McCain staffer about Barack Obama’s policies. The staffer went on to spout the McCain mantra that Obama is going to move us all into socialism. At this point the host interrupted the staffer briefly to remind the listener that they can sort out the truth of these claims by looking at the fact checking sub head under the Election 2008 coverage at npr.org.

Since when does a news organization not give us the whole story. I understand that with political reporting you have to be nice to both sides and let everyone have their  fair share and say their carefully scripted talking points. But if something is untrue and you know it’s untrue and you have the facts at your fingertips that tell everyone its untrue then why don’t you say something. Oh you might lose the uncredible source as a source? Damn. The campaign might not talk to you again? Shoot. It’s your responsiblity as a national news organization to inform your listerners (and readers) for innaccuracies as soon as they occur. Just like putting a correction in the newspaper, it’s your responsibility to say “Whoa, champ. The Socialist Party nominee is actually Brian Moore.”

I know that cultivating sources is difficult. It’s like becoming their best friend while at the same time remaining impartial. But if you know what they’re saying is an outright lie, untrue and will misinform your viewership it is your responsibility as a journalist to stand up and do what’s right. Call the staffers liars.

The other irony: I can’t even find this fact-checking page the host referred to. But it doesn’t even matter anymore.

Remember to vote tomorrow, every one!

You know you’re a nerd when …

your phone conversation leads to your favorite NPR shows and your affection for Terry Gross. And on that note I wish you all a good night as Pica is trying to smother me.

Baconated woot-off

I survived my first real woot-off these past couple days. I didn’t get much, all the cool stuff I wanted to get sold out almost instantly. I did get a nice printer, though, which is good because I’ve been printerless for almost two years. But today when I checked the status of the woot-off I found that it had ended and this was the last item:

Go Cougsars [sic]. For those who aren’t aware, this was an Evergreen inside joke. And to Dan: I think there’s still some bacon salt in the ME desk (yeah I took one and hid it, wanna fight about it?).

In other weird things I found from the internet: Here’s pictures of a woman who rummages for grocery lists then makes characters out of them and performs in grocery stores. Neat.