BS heaped upon half truth and rumour (Main Forum)

by TonySee , Adelaide, Thursday, June 17, 2010, 10:16 (1069 days ago) @ Brian Coyne

Brian,

There may be excitement from avid supporters and avid opponents for opposite reasons, but I doubt that most pew sitters think about +Pell much at all especially outside of Sydney or Melbourne.

I think the Damian Thompson puff piece should be part of any journalism course as a prime example of how bad journalism gets. This is perhaps best illustrated by the last para:

Cardinal Pell’s message to the bishops woud be (sic): “Sorry, gentlemen, but this is not a job for life. You must exhibit evangelical dynamism and obedience to the Holy Father – and, if you don’t, then there are holy priests ready to take your place.” Hence this foul campaign.

For journalistic speculation to have any cred it surely has to have as few 'degrees of separation' from varifiable fact as possible. So, while it may be one thing to speculate that +Pell is in the running for the job based on what are recognised as reliable sources and other circumstantial evidence, it is entirely another to concoct the existence of a 'foul campaign' and conclude it is being run by the 'the smug, lazy, liberal establishment'!

The irony is that if +Pell doesn't get the gong, is it reasonable for Thompson's readers to assume that PB16 is beholden to 'the smug, lazy, liberal establishment'?

With friends like Thompson ...

Peace to you
For all that has been — Thanks. For all that shall be — Yes. Dag Hammarskjöld