| At most I have anecdotal evidence of my work with such people. As well, if you want to be wealthy that badly you’re better off leaving journalism and doing something else. I think this rabid kind of speculation is unhealthy. You’re basing your rational on further assumptions. At the core you seem to assume everyone is so vulnerable that such a situation is more than just plausible, but the most likely reality. I disagree. So I guess it just boils down to philosophical differences. For what it’s worth, again, my work has shown me the greatest extent of coordinated government/powers “interference” has been the request for XML copies of published articles. The greatest extent of corporate/financial powers interference has been to cut the legs out from under journalists to maintain margins. I have no evidence those journalists were coerced into the actions they took outside of the effect of a social media echo chamber. They’re not the only ones. Add that together and I feel I can make the assumption there is no grand conspiracy otherwise I likely would have seen some traces by now. This isn’t directly related, but I see far worse coming from corporate executive business management. And they don’t give a damn about the stories. And you know, I led off with “the press is not perfect”. But it is supposed to be free. Freedom often comes with the tag line that you have take the crunch with the smooth and work through problems. But coordinated grand conspiracies—no. |