All Blog Posts from Public Eye

Carl Van Clausewitz famously observed that “war is the continuation of politics by other means.”

But oftentimes, so is media criticism. It’s not always a professional exercise as much as it is a political one.

That came to mind today when I saw an op-ed published in the Christian Science Monitor by an Emerson College professor. The professor, Jerry Lanson, asked a rhetorical question in his piece: Why did the media largely ignore some anti-war rallies over the past weekend? A participant in the Boston rally, Lanson wanted to know why it didn't warrant some attention.

I'm not suggesting here that the [New York] Times or any news organization should be in collusion with a movement – pro-war or antiwar, pro-choice or pro-life, pro-government or pro-privatization.

I am suggesting that news organizations cover the news – that they inform the public about any widespread effort to give voice to those who share a widely held view about any major national issue.

The piece seemed to open some doors without necessarily walking through them, so I decided to talk with Professor Lanson about his points. While I can’t say that I’m on-board with some of his views or perspectives, in the interest of transparency, here is our conversation.

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