Sam Adams (Old Fezziwig)

Today's discussion in Journalism 101 was about truth and transparency.
I love Sam Adams, but his Journal of Occurrences in 1768 was political spin sans a shred of fact (see if you can say that fast three times).
Yet Adams' published lies about "indecencies" that British soldiers inficted on Boston's women, old men and business people helped drive the occupying British forces out of Boston and jumpstart a revolution.

Spin with purpose?
Ends that justify the means?
So Machiavellian.

But not journalism.
And a great conversation starter to get at the essence of journalism.

Here's a novel concept I tried to convey to journalism students:
Be transparent in your writing, your blogging, your communication spin. Unveil those "gray" areas: biases, viewpoints, agendas.

I love it when I see statements like this in news articles today:
"Full disclosure: This Ford Foundation director also sits on the Gazette's Board of Directors."
"Full disclosure: I am the mother of two young children and I worry about pedophiles all the time."
"Full disclosure: My dad invested his life's savings in Enron and today is destitute. I"m trying not to be bitter."

Full disclosure: I may never write openly about my political viewpoints or my religious philosophy.
But when I write, I'm never going to lie.
That's what's called being a journalist.