I’ve been working with reporters since the late 80’s, and have seen my share of personal, cultural, and political bias’ skewing stories.  But a new era is dawning where such skewing no longer goes unchallenged.

 

Take this AP story: the reporter contacted this gentleman, who happens to be a blogger and a journalist (and FiOS customer), to get some quotes to compete her story.  One problem: his opinion and experiences as described were 180 degrees from away from the point of view he actually holds.  He writes of the story as published:

 

What we have here is a blatant foul, where one journalist has completely spun the words of another -- a fellow journalist even -- to make a point.

To me, fiber or cable is the future and I've decided to embrace that. I believe the copper wires will go the way of the wood-fired kitchen stove, the ice box, the rotary phone or the rooftop television antenna….

Yao's story may be true. Others who don't need super fast Internet and digital phone service could be upset if they move into a home wired with fiber optics. But I'm not one of those people, so it's unfortunate I was used to make that point.

 

But just like her use of Mr. Powderly’s comments, the story is not true.  Eric will be posting shortly (UPDATE: It's here) to explain what he explained to Ms. Yao (and was quoted in her story) and that whoever told he this dog would hunt, was wrong.

 

Sadly, other people saw the by-line was on an AP story and re-posted it as fact.  (Some may been wishfully thinking.)

 

 

The Associated Press this weekend used my name to make a point I completely disagree with.

A few weeks ago, Deborah Yao, a writer for the esteemed news service, contacted me about my FiOS experience. She had read my The FiOS Affair blog series and she was interested in what happened during Verizon's installation of its new FiOS fiber-optic television, phone and Internet service. Specifically, she wanted to know what happened when Verizon disconnected the old copper line from my house.

Here's what Yao came up with. From her story:

When Henry Powderly II ordered Verizon Communications Inc.'s FiOS fiber-optic service, he knew he was about to be connected to the future of telecommunications.

He also got unplugged from its past. Which meant that while Powderly was gaining features, he was losing some telecommunications options.

Verizon's installer without warning, Powderly says removed the copper wires that used to carry his phone calls. For most of the world, copper still links homes and businesses, as it has for a century.

Verizon's new high-bandwidth fiber lines are fully capable of carrying not only calls but also Internet data and television with room to grow. But once the copper is pulled, it's difficult to switch back to the traditional phone system or less expensive Digital Subscriber Line service. And Verizon isn't required, in most instances, to lease fiber to rival phone companies, as it is with the copper infrastructure.

What's more, anyone who owns Powderly's house in the future will face higher bills with FiOS than another home with copper. Right now, for instance, Verizon's DSL plans cost as little as $15 a month. FiOS Internet starts at $30 a month.

"I was not given an option," said Powderly, a 30-year-old Long Island, N.Y., resident.

What we have here is a blatant foul, where one journalist has completely spun the words of another -- a fellow journalist even -- to make a point.

Here's what really happened. I had three rather long phone conversations with Yao, and though I told her Verizon never informed me about cutting the copper cable I also told her I knew about it beforehand, due to research I conducted while writing The FiOS Affair. I also told her I did not care that cable was being cut.

To me, fiber or cable is the future and I've decided to embrace that. I believe the copper wires will go the way of the wood-fired kitchen stove, the ice box, the rotary phone or the rooftop television antenna.

I'm a tech guy, so why in the world would I care about an old copper wire, especially since I won't be selling my home for at least 20 years, a decision I've already made.

Yao's story may be true. Others who don't need super fast Internet and digital phone service could be upset if they move into a home wired with fiber optics. But I'm not one of those people, so it's unfortunate I was used to make that point.

This is why the media gets itself into trouble. Often a story is envisioned ahead of time, its direction, the endpoint, are set. And sometimes journalists mold quotes to fit the story, even if it completely nullifies the point the quoted was making. That foul, in my opinion makes a story rubbish, more fiction than truth, like a Kerouac novel, where the names are changed and the dialogue is tweaked to fit the intended theme.

A news story should not be tweaked, especially one from the Associated Press, an institution known for delivering straight news, largely unbiased, for use by countless organizations.

And here's the stinger. In this case, a brown-shoe journalist was less honest than a flip-flop blogger. That's progress.

And as for my FiOS experience, I've had no problems, the service has not cost me more than Verizon said it would, and I'm full-on addicted to Food Network HD.