is NOT a mortal error. It is a hanging offense. Well, maybe not that, but an editor or reporter who does it should suffer an immediate loss of job along with a blackball in his or her employment record.
The press and the other media have an absolute duty to report the facts and a collateral duty not to twist them, slant them, or shade them in an attempt to support an agenda, except on the editorial page.
As I may have mentioned before, my mother worked for many years as a reporter for the Alexandria, Va., Gazette. In an article about corruption in the government of a neighboring county, she made reference to a particular politician "and his cronies." Now crony literally means long-time friends, but it carries with it a hint of engaging in unscrupulous activities, which, of course, was exactly the bad taste Mom wanted to leave in the readers' mouths. She could, of course, have merely referred to the politician and his colleagues.
I asked her why she just didn't call them henchmen. Her response: "Damn. I never thought of that. I've got to start using my thesaurus again." She was truly incorrigible.
The politician did sue, but the case was dropped when the guy was indicted for taking bribes. Mom was right, but she was also very wrong.
