Unbelievable...... I dont even watch more than 30 mins of TV a day anymore and yet I still hear about this from co-workers and people I talk to. Thats how pervasive this rubbish is. My reply? How is this even news? Who cares if it was even true? It is a throw away question and from anyone else it would mean nothing.
The modern day journalist does not need to get a degree, just type whatever comes into your head or what the boss tells you to write. If its proven false, we'll print a small retractment somewhere sometime, which will be way too late for damage control. Damage is all they want.
Here's a typical day. Journalist sits down, stares wistfully into space for a moment, smiles. They type "Queen states loves to lick chocolate starfish" . Takes headline to boss, boss says, "what? is that the band or the actual queen? do you mean actual chocolate or a shithole?" journalist says "exactly....". Boss smiles and says "print it!"
There is no such thing as investigative journalism or ethics in journalism any more in the main stream.
ROFL... Brilliant, and sadly true.