Certification of Qualified Newscasters and Journalists

Certification of Qualified Newscasts and Journalistic Presentations

Definitions, Privileges:

News vs. Opinion
The Final Showdown

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WHEREAS,

• Every time a journalist a) repeats someone's opinion, or b) re-shows a video or c) re-broadcasts an audio of such opinion, there will be a dozen dozers out there who will believe what is said just because it took up air time, and that must mean it is credible;
• Mixing virally spreading opinion with news leads to confusion of fact with viewpoint.  
• Churning opinion rather than unearthing and presenting news works counter to a functioning democracy of informed citizens, and suggests that news is merely a matter of sales. Who can get the consumer to believe what, defines the journalistic winner - high fives. 
• Abuse of opinion, by presenting it before facts are in, manipulates the process.For example, note use of ads and focus groups and partial stories to rev up opinion and drum up support for or antagonism for a proposed appointee, then get out polls before there are hearings on the actual facts. Such practices shall not be allowed to use the term "qualified news" for their presentation on the air, or in the papers.

WHEREFORE, it is enacted, that "qualified" news and journalism shall be separated by certification from mere "news" and "opinion" offered to market a viewpoint.

A Qualified News or Qualified Journalism shall be defined as a presentation of

1) facts;
2) setting forth the time, place, background, manner, and content;
3) of observable events;
4) in a neutral way, not leading to any conclusion or opinion; 
4) complete with identification of sources for such facts.

Qualified newscasting shall be entitled to special labeling as set forth herein, so the public will know when it is getting news and when it is getting special-interest spin.

Process for certification.

The newly refurbished FCC shall establish and monitor and award Certification for Qualified News annually to those newscasters and journalists who conform to the requirements herein for separation of news and opinion, and such newscasters and journalists shall be entitled to use the initials, QN or QJ after his or her name, as Qualified Newscaster or Qualified Journalist. 

Specific application. 

Where there is a response to such news, in the form of an alternate proposal for action if the news relates to an action; or an alternate statement of such facts where facts are disagreed; such shall be permitted so long as there is no statement of opinion of the original facts included thereto; and so long as the presentation of the response is complete as to its statement of time, place, background, manner, neutral presentation and content of those original events, complete with identification of the alternate sources.  This is intended to facilitate where the newscasting presentations differ,so the viewer can pursue those differences to his or her satisfaction.

All Opinion to be excluded from Qualified News. 

A qualified newscast or qualified journalism shall not include any statement of opinion, or conclusion as to import, meaning, or value, by any person or entity, concerning the original statement itself.

Any such presentation opinion shall be segregated and presented only as a separate portion of the broadcast or newspaper section, but not as "qualified news."  For example, no "advertising" against a proposal by one group, shall be permitted as "news" related to that proposal.

This exclusion of opinion from "news" in order for news to be qualified, will indeed cause hardship to those talk shows that run together ads and sound bites of opinion, as it will require them to think and unearth and discuss real fact instead, but life is tough. It will also cause hardship to those who consider themselves journalists but whose product is prechewed by the owners before it may be presented. Again, life is tough. Such persons shall be expected to retain their journalistic independence if they wish to be awarded the QN or QJ.

Intent of section.

The intent of this section shall be to limit news to observable facts creating actual news; and to exclude opinion from "news."  Opinion and churning of same shall be permitted where clearly identified as opinion, and not as part of Qualified News. Where alternate proposals evolve in response to an original news event that is itself a proposal for action, such shall be considered as "qualified news" where it presents observable facts and provides its sources for the information.

Specific prohibition in presentation.

No use of "weasel words" or words that fail to attribute the source to the statement, see://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words/. or that slant the reader to reach a conclusion or opinion within the news; shall be permitted in "qualified" news programs or formats.

Owners of media or other influential persons in media with an interest in promoting views of the public to conform to views of the owner shall be limited in those activities to opinion pages or separately identified sections after presentation of news.

Display of certification.

Qualified news programs and presentations shall display prominently its qualification by such statements or logos as may be determined from time to time, such that, when the logo or statement of qualification is missing, the public is clearly alerted that slant is on the way. Duck.

Ducking, Leeds, England