Editor's Desk
by Robert James Bidinotto“You can’t handle the truth. And neither can we.”
That’s the conclusion of many in the news media who proclaim the impossibility, on principle, of journalistic “objectivity.” Of course, believing that makes a reporter’s job oh-so-much easier, doesn’t it? If selecting and conveying facts is an arbitrary, subjective process, reporters really shouldn’t be held to account for factual distortions, right?
Journalists who want to believe that will find their rationalizations far more difficult to maintain now that philosopher David Kelley has punctured them. In this month’s cover story, “Can Reporters Handle the Truth?,” Dr. Kelley untangles the distorted meanings commonly attributed to the concept of “objectivity” and outlines standards to help conscientious journalists define and adhere to “the truth.”
One journalist who may be a lost cause in this respect, however, is Gretchen Morgenson, Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter for The New York Times. In “The Way and The Street,” Roger Donway presents her career as a case study of exactly what Dr. Kelley is talking about: a journalist whose fundamental moral premises constantly prompt her to distort the reality of capitalism and to evade the virtues of capitalists.
In his “Private I” column this month, Roger examines the ideas of the late economist Milton Friedman—a man who, unlike Morgenson, supported capitalism, but whose philosophically dubious arguments may inadvertently have helped lend credibility to critics like her.
It’s always a pleasure to introduce an outstanding new contributor to these pages. This month, national security analyst James Joyner, publisher of the popular and highly regarded outsidethebeltway.com, offers thought-provoking perspectives on the state of our military and what it will take to transform it for future battles against terrorist insurgencies. No subject could be more important than the one he addresses in “Preparing for the Next War,” and no ideas could be more welcome than those that Dr. Joyner provides in these pages.
Now, let me publicly confess that I am an addict. My addiction, life-long, is to thriller novels. However, I have no plans to join any twelve-step recovery program. I revel in my addiction and I now wish to become a pusher. My survey of the field, “The Best Thriller Writers—Ever,” is meant to hook you forever on these sources of pleasure. I feel no guilt, though, because I know this addiction will be good for you.
While I’m at it, another confession: I engage in a weekly one-hour religious ritual. It is called “24,” and it’s a TV show that also claims millions of other addicts. I believe that what its hero, Jack Bauer, is pushing is also very good for you. But Jack has come under withering criticism from the political portside. In this month’s editorial, “The Gospel According to Jack,” I cover Jack’s back so he can continue his frontal assault on America’s enemies.
Of course, “24” is not the only great thing to have appeared on the small screen. Ed Hudgins reminds us of those great documentary series of past decades that entertained while they enlightened. With this issue, Ed inaugurates reviews of the best of these documentary series, beginning with Sir Kenneth Clark’s magnificent Civilisation, A Personal Statement. For those of you who haven’t seen this program or the others Ed will highlight, you just don’t know what you have missed. But I’m sure that Ed’s reviews will prompt many of you to remedy that impoverishment.
Finally, our devoted film reviewer and entertainment editor, Robert L. Jones, takes a look at two recent movies. He is enthusiastic about much-neglected The Astronaut Farmer while he is exasperated by the much-celebrated Pan’s Labyrinth. Could values have anything to do with Robert’s departure from the critics’ consensus? Decide for yourself when you read his reviews.
Well, I have only two more hours to wrap up this issue before its deadline. As Jack Bauer so often says, We are running outta time! Therefore, let me end here so that you can move on to all the good stuff while I stave off publishing disaster.