Excellent points. I would add a thought for consideration: political journalists shouldn't just be responding to things that politicians are saying, but at least sometimes also considering what are the most important things happening in the country, and making sure to devote attention to this.
Sometimes news organizations will make a concentrated push to put something on the agenda, but it's rare. An example of an issue that might merit much more attention is indoor air quality: the pandemic and recent wildfires have given us much reason to think clean air where we live, work, worship, and go to school is important, but there has been little follow-up on things governments could do to improve health standards for our buildings.
That's just one issue, but I'd love to see much more of this less-reactionary mode of journalism.
Context and consequences -- what a great mantra for political journalism!
Thank you for consistently contributing to this mission in Canada. You are rare, indeed.
Public policy is truly complex and always full of tradeoffs and guesswork. The vast majority of citizens have no idea of the intricate challenges that politicians, public servants, and academics are working through.
Keep up your excellent work, Aaron! You are reaching some of us 😉
Thank you for making your writing and analysis accessible on Substack! There is much in this article that I will come back to re-read. I am interested in the idea of "systemic bias", often asserted about public policy/agencies, scholarship, and journalism. I am curious to understand whether there are actual 'systems' of practices that lead to bias. These practices and their goals might not always be obvious or deliberate. So, I am looking forward to your observations about context, facts, consequences, and stakes.
Congratulations on this excellent article.
Excellent points. I would add a thought for consideration: political journalists shouldn't just be responding to things that politicians are saying, but at least sometimes also considering what are the most important things happening in the country, and making sure to devote attention to this.
Sometimes news organizations will make a concentrated push to put something on the agenda, but it's rare. An example of an issue that might merit much more attention is indoor air quality: the pandemic and recent wildfires have given us much reason to think clean air where we live, work, worship, and go to school is important, but there has been little follow-up on things governments could do to improve health standards for our buildings.
That's just one issue, but I'd love to see much more of this less-reactionary mode of journalism.
Thanks for this excellent piece.
Gus! He was good
Context and consequences -- what a great mantra for political journalism!
Thank you for consistently contributing to this mission in Canada. You are rare, indeed.
Public policy is truly complex and always full of tradeoffs and guesswork. The vast majority of citizens have no idea of the intricate challenges that politicians, public servants, and academics are working through.
Keep up your excellent work, Aaron! You are reaching some of us 😉
Thank you for making your writing and analysis accessible on Substack! There is much in this article that I will come back to re-read. I am interested in the idea of "systemic bias", often asserted about public policy/agencies, scholarship, and journalism. I am curious to understand whether there are actual 'systems' of practices that lead to bias. These practices and their goals might not always be obvious or deliberate. So, I am looking forward to your observations about context, facts, consequences, and stakes.