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Comment by whistlerbrk | Hacker News Reader

Seems like a nice potential solution would be promoting dual majors in journalism and history so journalists could provide deep historical context for the events they report on

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Journalists often have at least two objectives: conveying information and attracting an audience (which might be directly related to selling ads). Providing a deep historical context does help with the quality of information, but it won't attract a large audience. The reality is even worse: it costs more to produce deep reports, but many viewers/readers will avoid those, and ads are harder to sell on historical subjects.

Most Americans now use social networks as their main source of information, with TV on second place, so I doubt this show an appetite for a better quality of information.

That's why a having a degree in something, where you have the knowledge relatively close at hand, is valuable. It can turn a deep report into a routine article.

High school should provide enough general culture in history to enable people to have basic notions and make history books accessible should people want to learn more about a specific period. I don’t think a college degree in history should be required for that.

Indeed. I suspect a part of the reason for the rise of college education as a necessity is the failure of public education to actually educate.

I went to a pretty good high school, and I feel like I learned a lot, but I still feel like we could have learned more, and learned it better I went to a pretty good high school, and I feel like I've learned a lot, but I still feel like we could have learned more, and learned it better.

You believe that liberal arts college professors offer nothing of value?

You believe that putting words in peoples' mouths is a good way to conduct a conversation?

FWIW, AP everyday publishes "Today in History" (https://www.apnews.com/c543085359964ecb9ad6f6a9da21c3d0) and even makes a video for syndication.

It’s rather common for journalists not to have a degree specific to journalism. Many have a liberal arts degree, which focuses heavily on history and philosophy. But there’s also a significant number of lawyers, business majors, or even MDs.

That would be very problematic for selling ads, though.

This is one reason why some of us choose to pay for journalism.

I paid and still saw ads, "advertorials" (disgusting), and verbatim copies of press releases + PR firm handouts.

So I stopped paying.

If someone can point me to proper news sites that give me quality paid news, please do so.

You won't like my answer. I pay for the guardian. It's proper news. I would pay for the Australian but I refuse to pay Murdoch press. I would strongly consider paying for the washpo or the economist.

How do you know it's "proper news"?

How does anyone know its proper news? Contextually I think it means from a newspaper which employs trained journalists and with an established editorial policy you can find on the web. Agreeing with it isn't the point btw.

Why should I not like your answer? I like a lot from the Guardian, it was on my list actually.

Thanks for your suggestion.

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