tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36404602.post4548274724320921322..comments2023-10-26T05:08:20.977-04:00Comments on Connecting.the.Dots: Media Failure: False BalanceROBERT STEINhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11999996852219220599noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36404602.post-76704127767809150362012-09-17T10:28:42.111-04:002012-09-17T10:28:42.111-04:00The opposite of "false balance" is calle...The opposite of "false balance" is called "investigative journalism". When you post the truth about someone, such as a scam artist, to offset your perceived credibility, they often sue you. <br /><br />A friend of mine is launching the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation "to fill the vacuum for professionally crafted enterprise work on capital markets participants due to the economic collapse of mainstream media" (see: http://www.talkingbiznews.com/1/biz-journalist-creating-non-profit-to-cover-markets/). Because of the threat of lawsuits, his insurance company has demanded he take out a $20M insurance policy which costs a fortune. For 99.9% of reporters, there is no perceived benefit of spending a large chunk of their income on insurance while almost guaranteeing a large chunk of their time will be devoted to filing legal briefs. <br /><br />The solution is to establish an anti-SLAPP procedure on the federal level. For those not familiar with such laws, it means in situations where someone sues you to essentially shut you up, the burden of proof shifts to them to convince a judge they would likely prevail at trial. If the plaintiff cannot make his/her case, he/she must now pay the defendants legal fees.Jeff Mitchellhttp://www.siliconinvestor.com/subject.aspx?subjectid=28509noreply@blogger.com