FW: [LINK] Open source just as insecure as Windows

[Karl Auer]

On Thu, 14 Nov 2002 16:04:22 +1100
"Dearne, Karen" <dearnek@theaustralian.com.au> wrote:
> I told Richard:  I have been a journalist for 30 years.

"Journalism" encompasses critical thought, evaluation of what one is told, and a presentation that demonstrates both. This isn't the same as editorialising. It's about not presenting only one voice as fact, especially when that voice has a vested interest. Or alternatively, presenting that one voice, but with supporting, independent evidence that it is speaking truth (or not). These things can be done in two sentences as well as in two thousand. If you don't do one of these things, those in the know will simply discount the whole piece, as you've seen happen here. Those who aren't in the know will be misled. Neither of these outcomes seems desirable.

> Last week there were only 8 pages. Oh, and we write for a
> general newspaper audience, we're not presenting technical papers for a pass
> or fail.

All the more important, then, to present balanced and well-researched work. To plead lack of space as an excuse for dumbing down, lack of balance or outright falsehood is a cop-out. As is saying that you were "only quoting". A journalist's only value-adds are critical appraisal and critical presentation. Anything else is hack work and flackery.

Regards, K.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karl Auer (kauer@biplane.com.au)                   +41-43-2660706 (h)
http://www.biplane.com.au/~kauer/                  +41- 1-6327531 (w)