new journalism WAS Re: Wolfe

[Richard Fiero]

Doug Millison writes: 
>
> The idea that journalism is somehow supposed to present "objective truth"
> represents at best a naive understanding of what journalists actually do;
> usually this concept is used as a club by people who don't like what they
> read in the newspapers (or hear on broadcast news, etc.) and who seek to
> discredit one journalist (or publication) at the expense of another.


Please see Pynchon's reference to the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943 on page 249 of
GR. These "riots" were fomented by the Los Angeles Times. The police went
along to arrest the victims as GR's narrator states. A brief synopsis is
given at
http://members.tripod.com/~noemigarcia/lapaint/zootsuit.htm

>
>   If
> scientists and mathematicians can't, finally, nail it ("objective truth")
> down, how could mere reporters, writers, editors? Journalists conduct
> research,  choose the facts and quotes they wish to highlight, and
assemble
> them into stories, which, of necessity, reflect the perspective (whether
> openly acknowledged or not) of the reporters, writers, and editors
> involved. How we create stories and use them to create and navigate the
> world is, it seems to me, a matter of some importance to TRP, as reflected
> in GR, M&D, and the rest of his writings.
>
> d  o  u  g    m  i  l  l  i  s  o  n  <http://www.online-journalist.com>

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