Eric’s personal politics are no secret. This post is about real-world news media and coverage, but I think he would feel the same way about reporters and the news media within the 1632verse, so I’m including it. – Bethanne Kim (Publisher, Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond magazine) Baen’s Bar 18 July 2009 01:17 Actually, I disagree. I think Cronkite was a very good TV announcer myself, but he helped foist onto the public the silly notion that there was or could be such a thing as “objective news reporting.” This notion — which is thoroughly un-American and completely at variance with the actual history of American news reporting — only became popular because of the stultified, extremely conformist political culture that emerged in America in the 1950s. Once that conformity began to crumble in the late 60s and early 70s, it was inevitable that the appearance of “news objectivity” would crumble with it. People today routinely decry what they see as the rampant partisanship of Fox News (if they’re liberal) or MSCBC (if they’re on the right of the political spectrum), and seem to view that approach to the news as some sort of deviation from what they apparently think is American custom. In point of fact, while such announcers as Keith Olberman and Bill O’Reilly make no pretense of being non-partisan, they are actually fairly mild compared to most news coverage in American history. If you _really_ want to see partisan news reporting, take a look at the news reporting in the election years of 1800 — “if Jefferson wins, a wave of murder, rape and looting will sweep the nation” — or 1828, or damn near any year in the 18th and 19th centuries and a good part of the 20th. Really, we’re just returning to normal practice. I prefer it that way. The problem with so-called “objective news reporting” is that it covers up the reality that _all_…
news
Garrett W. Vance, Staff: Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond magazine Hail Friends, I will begin with a little reminiscing, then share some news with you. I became the Art Director of the Grantville Gazette back in 2008 with Volume 15 after my dear friend Paula Goodlett saw a photo of me that I had doctored up in Photoshop to be wearing ‘Paula Goodlett, Editor’ swag that the Gazette was selling through an online store, it was all really just for fun! I told her I was her “biggest fan”! She laughed and said “You’re pretty good with Photoshop, how would you like to be the Art Director?” I happily played that role for the following 87 issues to the final one, 102. I had a great time, what a pleasure it was! Thanks, Paula! I was terribly sad to see it end. We all mourn Eric, and I am sure you who are reading this are, like me, grateful to him for creating such a wonderful fictional world and inviting all of us to come play in it! I have a lot of fond memories, but I have already gone on too long! So, onto the news. When the new magazine’s owners asked me to join them to help get it started, I was pleased and proud to do so. I am so glad that they were able to get the Grantville’s Gazette’s successor up and running, it is wonderful to see Eric’s world growing and changing, I think it’s safe to say he would have been delighted by all of this! I humbly thank Bethanne, Bjorn, and Chuck for the opportunity to get back in that saddle for a time, it was a pleasure. But, with all new things, change comes, too. And so, I am writing to you today to let you know that I will no longer be the Art Director of Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond…