Comments for Jonathan Stray http://jonathanstray.com Information, Culture, and Belief Sat, 19 May 2012 04:28:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by M. Edward (Ed) Borasky http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4126 M. Edward (Ed) Borasky Sat, 19 May 2012 04:28:36 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4126 "A journalist is not an urban planner, a teacher, an economist, a police captain, or an epidemiologist. We already have those people in society, so I don’t know why we would imagine that journalists are supposed to invent good plans. Even the idea of journalists merely promoting particular solutions flies in the face of the orthodoxy that says journalism exists to inform, not to advise or act. Personally, I find the idea of total journalistic detachment to be nonsensical; if journalism has no effect, then it simply does not work. But neither do I think that journalists have any particular legitimacy to decide for everyone else." I'm none of the above, but I *am* an applied mathematician and have spent a lengthy career speaking the quantitative language of planners, economists, epidemiologists and other scientists and engineers, and crafting code to provide solutions. Journalism was actually my second choice career - if I hadn't been "born to program", I would have been a science journalist, or perhaps a humor columnist or music critic. In any event, I think both we in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and journalists serve to steer civilization between the utopias and dystopias that confront us with on a daily basis in the second decade of the twenty-first century. If that's "solution journalism", then sign me up! “A journalist is not an urban planner, a teacher, an economist, a police captain, or an epidemiologist. We already have those people in society, so I don’t know why we would imagine that journalists are supposed to invent good plans. Even the idea of journalists merely promoting particular solutions flies in the face of the orthodoxy that says journalism exists to inform, not to advise or act. Personally, I find the idea of total journalistic detachment to be nonsensical; if journalism has no effect, then it simply does not work. But neither do I think that journalists have any particular legitimacy to decide for everyone else.”

I’m none of the above, but I *am* an applied mathematician and have spent a lengthy career speaking the quantitative language of planners, economists, epidemiologists and other scientists and engineers, and crafting code to provide solutions. Journalism was actually my second choice career – if I hadn’t been “born to program”, I would have been a science journalist, or perhaps a humor columnist or music critic.

In any event, I think both we in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and journalists serve to steer civilization between the utopias and dystopias that confront us with on a daily basis in the second decade of the twenty-first century. If that’s “solution journalism”, then sign me up!

]]> Comment on A full-text visualization of the Iraq War Logs by Lost in Translation « Jackson Devereux's Blog http://jonathanstray.com/a-full-text-visualization-of-the-iraq-war-logs/comment-page-1#comment-4119 Lost in Translation « Jackson Devereux's Blog Fri, 18 May 2012 05:11:28 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=2316#comment-4119 [...] possible. Sometimes that will be a visualisation or a map (see the work of David McCandless or Jonathan Stray). But sometimes it’s a news story. Sometimes, just publishing the number is [...] [...] possible. Sometimes that will be a visualisation or a map (see the work of David McCandless or Jonathan Stray). But sometimes it’s a news story. Sometimes, just publishing the number is [...]

]]> Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by Info meze #9 (journalism, best of the web) http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4114 Info meze #9 (journalism, best of the web) Thu, 17 May 2012 07:49:45 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4114 [...] an Online Portfolio   Ongo, an attempt at a pan-media paywalled aggregator, is closing   The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems   Κρίση και ελληνικά μήντια, αφιέρωμα του Αl Jazeera [...] [...] an Online Portfolio   Ongo, an attempt at a pan-media paywalled aggregator, is closing   The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems   Κρίση και ελληνικά μήντια, αφιέρωμα του Αl Jazeera [...]

]]> Comment on Acquired Tastes by IRS Lawyer http://jonathanstray.com/acquired-tastes/comment-page-1#comment-4112 IRS Lawyer Thu, 17 May 2012 05:45:43 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=14#comment-4112 Totally agree with one exception: it's a big stretch to call this woman a chick! Totally agree with one exception: it’s a big stretch to call this woman a chick!

]]> Comment on Two Sages by K T Cat http://jonathanstray.com/two-sages/comment-page-1#comment-4110 K T Cat Wed, 16 May 2012 21:48:02 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=148#comment-4110 I like it! I like it!

]]> Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by Josh Stearns http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4109 Josh Stearns Wed, 16 May 2012 20:44:35 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4109 Jonathan - you are right - I think I falsely broke apart the surfacing and studying of solutions from the role of moderation. Thanks for clarifying that. And I think layering in your earlier post on the functions of the public square is really useful. In fact those functions help us get at some of what Greg Linch raises about your post and mine - the need to find metrics to measure impact. See his comment here: http://stearns.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/hindsight-journalism/ Jonathan – you are right – I think I falsely broke apart the surfacing and studying of solutions from the role of moderation. Thanks for clarifying that. And I think layering in your earlier post on the functions of the public square is really useful. In fact those functions help us get at some of what Greg Linch raises about your post and mine – the need to find metrics to measure impact. See his comment here: http://stearns.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/hindsight-journalism/

]]> Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by 10 Mid-Week PM Reads | The Big Picture http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4108 10 Mid-Week PM Reads | The Big Picture Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:22 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4108 [...] Poll Numbers Perk Up (TPM) • The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems (Jonathan Stray) • Is Death Bad for You? (The Chronicle) • Five Lessons From Music’s Most Feared Manager, [...] [...] Poll Numbers Perk Up (TPM) • The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems (Jonathan Stray) • Is Death Bad for You? (The Chronicle) • Five Lessons From Music’s Most Feared Manager, [...]

]]> Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by Jonathan Stray http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4107 Jonathan Stray Wed, 16 May 2012 19:32:13 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4107 Josh: to my mind, "surfacing and reporting on solutions" are part of the moderation job. The point is to have a successful dialog. If that dialog is ignoring key possibilities, or needs some fact finding to continue, then the journalist can step in to fill that gap. But only if it's a gap that needs filling; I'd much rather see other people doing this work, for the sake of efficiency and inclusive participation. To put it another way, I've previously <a href="http://jonathanstray.com/what-should-the-digital-public-sphere-do" rel="nofollow">written</a> about the different functions of the public sphere. The journalist has responsibility to see that these needs are met, and may need to step into any one of those roles if that turns out to be the best way to get things done. Nick: I agree there is a missing "convergent" step, which is why I'm so excited about the rise of explanatory journalism and the whole <a href="http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101886" rel="nofollow">context</a> movement. Josh: to my mind, “surfacing and reporting on solutions” are part of the moderation job. The point is to have a successful dialog. If that dialog is ignoring key possibilities, or needs some fact finding to continue, then the journalist can step in to fill that gap. But only if it’s a gap that needs filling; I’d much rather see other people doing this work, for the sake of efficiency and inclusive participation.

To put it another way, I’ve previously written about the different functions of the public sphere. The journalist has responsibility to see that these needs are met, and may need to step into any one of those roles if that turns out to be the best way to get things done.

Nick: I agree there is a missing “convergent” step, which is why I’m so excited about the rise of explanatory journalism and the whole context movement.

]]> Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by Jonathan Stray http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4106 Jonathan Stray Wed, 16 May 2012 18:55:27 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4106 Steve, First of all, thanks for taking the time to reply. I am not suggesting that journalism abandon the "watch dog" role. I don't think anyone is suggesting that, actually. There are many kinds of journalism, including breaking news, analysis, and investigative. Solution journalism would be one kind. As to the charge of advocacy: if you're writing an investigative story about what you see as someone's shady business practices, you are implicitly advocating that these practices stop. As you point out, watch dog journalism does have an agenda, one of transparency and accountability. But society needs many things besides than transparency and accountability, such as social plans and polices that work. What is journalism's involvement in those things? If there isn't a clear issue of wrongdoing, does journalism have nothing at all to contribute? The reason I suggest the role of moderator is precisely because I don't believe journalists are qualified to choose for all of society. But I believe that they might be qualified to tend to the discussion, to help everyone else choose. Steve,

First of all, thanks for taking the time to reply.

I am not suggesting that journalism abandon the “watch dog” role. I don’t think anyone is suggesting that, actually. There are many kinds of journalism, including breaking news, analysis, and investigative. Solution journalism would be one kind.

As to the charge of advocacy: if you’re writing an investigative story about what you see as someone’s shady business practices, you are implicitly advocating that these practices stop. As you point out, watch dog journalism does have an agenda, one of transparency and accountability.

But society needs many things besides than transparency and accountability, such as social plans and polices that work. What is journalism’s involvement in those things? If there isn’t a clear issue of wrongdoing, does journalism have nothing at all to contribute?

The reason I suggest the role of moderator is precisely because I don’t believe journalists are qualified to choose for all of society. But I believe that they might be qualified to tend to the discussion, to help everyone else choose.

]]> Comment on The hard part of solution journalism is agreeing on the problems by steve coon http://jonathanstray.com/the-hard-part-of-solution-journalism-is-agreeing-on-the-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4105 steve coon Wed, 16 May 2012 18:37:58 +0000 http://jonathanstray.com/?p=3573#comment-4105 Mr. Stray is suggesting that we journalists abandon our traditional role as “watch dog” and instead adopt a “herd dog.” Solution journalism is not journalism. It’s a thinly disguised advocacy. That is wrong. Journalists are not supposed to be advocates; we are observers who report on what is happening in society whether it is good or bad. Our reports are to alert both voters and policy makers so they can make informed decisions. That is their responsibility…not ours. Advocates come in various stripes. They may be elected or appointed politicians, they may be lobbyists working for trade associations, they may be scholars employed by think tanks or universities. Or they may be any one of a score of local, regional, national or international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO. Each has a specific cause or agenda. Yes, journalists have an agenda, too. But it is to assure that society at all levels remains open and accountable. We watch and inform; others are charged with actions and solutions. I would suggest that if Mr. Stray wishes to be an advocate, he take off his “journalist” hat and replace it with a one that reads “lobbyist.” Mr. Stray is suggesting that we journalists abandon our traditional role as “watch dog” and instead adopt a “herd dog.” Solution journalism is not journalism. It’s a thinly disguised advocacy.

That is wrong. Journalists are not supposed to be advocates; we are observers who report on what is happening in society whether it is good or bad. Our reports are to alert both voters and policy makers so they can make informed decisions. That is their responsibility…not ours.

Advocates come in various stripes. They may be elected or appointed politicians, they may be lobbyists working for trade associations, they may be scholars employed by think tanks or universities. Or they may be any one of a score of local, regional, national or international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO. Each has a specific cause or agenda.

Yes, journalists have an agenda, too. But it is to assure that society at all levels remains open and accountable. We watch and inform; others are charged with actions and solutions.

I would suggest that if Mr. Stray wishes to be an advocate, he take off his “journalist” hat and replace it with a one that reads “lobbyist.”

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