Comments on: Ideology and “not speaking ill of the dead” http://obitresearch.com/2009/10/12/ideology-and-speaking-ill-of-the-dead/ Exploring the American obituary Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:02:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Nona Yerbiznich http://obitresearch.com/2009/10/12/ideology-and-speaking-ill-of-the-dead/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Nona Yerbiznich Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:40:45 +0000 http://obitresearch.com/?p=95#comment-5 I'll take issue with your premise. "For example, you’ll scant see a major media outlet disparage a recently deceased individual, because it’s appropriate, if at least customary, for the dead to be honored, not mocked — not even a little." American journalism, unlike its overseas version, requires fairness. Mocking is for pseudo-journalists or commentators. It's fair to describe someone's physical attributes. It's fair to say some accused the dead general of being a war criminal. It's fair to say a celebrity singer refuted criminal charges of pedophilia despite testimoney of 4 or 45 underage visitors to his ranch. American journalists are not *honoring* the dead this way -- they are simply reporting -- and that cuts both ways. I’ll take issue with your premise.
“For example, you’ll scant see a major media outlet disparage a recently deceased individual, because it’s appropriate, if at least customary, for the dead to be honored, not mocked — not even a little.”

American journalism, unlike its overseas version, requires fairness. Mocking is for pseudo-journalists or commentators. It’s fair to describe someone’s physical attributes. It’s fair to say some accused the dead general of being a war criminal. It’s fair to say a celebrity singer refuted criminal charges of pedophilia despite testimoney of 4 or 45 underage visitors to his ranch. American journalists are not *honoring* the dead this way — they are simply reporting — and that cuts both ways.

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