I’ve been following the story of Ms. Sherrod and her forced resignation and then the eventual apology she received (along with an offer of a new job in the Agricultural Department).
The day the story broke, I was watching the news with my stepdad who agreed that she should have been fired. And me, being me, laid into him because obviously no one did their homework and she was being punished for something that happened in a different context a quarter of a century ago.
I was reminded of the conversation when I read this article in today’s Times:
By Tuesday, Ms. Sherrod’s forced resignation was the talk of cable television news, and it was becoming clear that the Breitbart video clip had been taken out of context. After seeing the full video, the N.A.A.C.P., which had initially applauded Ms. Sherrod’s resignation, reversed itself, saying it had been “snookered” into believing that she had been acting with racial bias.
Bullshit. This is just an excuse to justify lazy reporting and obvious bias. It’s an excuse not to take responsibility for what the N.A.A.C.P. initially said.
This whole experience is a substantial example of the effects of bias in the media. And it’s pretty ridiculous.
And you wonder why I don’t watch the news.
**UPDATE:
Of course, I find someone who says what I mean in a much more concise and succinct way.
Here’s Blair Scott, of American Atheists, referring to the Shirley Sherrod incident:
Critical thinking skills and the ability to use rational thought are vital to the survival of the species. We saw that break down this week as every politician (right, left, and center) and every news outlet (right, left, and center) took the word of a single person and ran with it. There was no verification of facts, no burden of proof, no skepticism, no questioning of the source, etc. The accumulation of logical fallacies was like watching an algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico: spreading its devastating effects the bigger it gets.
Well put, don’t you think?
