[HT to Korea Beat.]
Why is it that one of Korea’s oldest, most sober, and ostensibly serious journalistic outlet is always publishing pictures of underage girls in their school uniforms, or pictures of foreigners in their bikinis at the beach?
[Source: Chosun Ilbo]
In case you were wondering, if you look at some other pictures, there WERE boys there, too. Except the editors chose to put in a shot of this girl THREE times, I guess because you could see her belly button.
At the same time, last summer, a group of South Asian men were arrested for apparently doing the same on a beach on the east coast (although they were also reported to have “groped” some women, but that wasn’t confirmed as fact in the article). This was called “sexual harrassment” with cameras, however, and set a dangerous precedent, in this author’s opinion.
But why is it that when the Chosun Ilbo continues to publish upskirt shots of underage girls, or graduation celebrations that show their bodies through wet (and hence transparent) white uniform blouses, or foreigners in bikinis without mosaicing or other efforts to preserve anonymity, this is OK? If you are a Chosun Ilbo photographer, you can publish bikini shots and upskirt photos of teenage girls, but if you’re a brown foreigner, it’s “sexual harrassment?”
This doesn’t make sense. And legalities aside, is this really journalism? Or a bunch of old men sitting around, making excuses to dispatch staff photogaphers with telephoto lenses to snap pictures of underage teenagers? This adds to the media enviroment that legitimizes the sexualization of underage girls, and the sexual objectification of women in general. One should expect better from one of the nation’s oldest newspapers. If I want to see skin, I should go buy a magazine that shows such things. I don’t know how Koreans feel, but as an American, I’d be very ashamed if The New York Times photo and multimedia sections wasted time recording teenage girls at graduation spraying one another with water, or had staff photographers with 300mm telephoto lenses taking upskirt shots of underage girls.
[Source: Chosun Ilbo]
Is this national news? I can understand perhaps one shot of a legitimate story on the problem of girls violating uniform standards that showed how they were sneaking about and doing it. But if you look at the gallery linked above, there are more than 10 shots of the girls in the “changing area”, some of which nearly reveal underwear. Do we need this to get the point? No. As a heterosexual reader, might I be curious about such compromising shots? Sure. But they have no place in a serious, national newspaper. And the sheer number of shots in the photo section of that newspaper that day outnumbered those of real political demonstrations, real news happen domestically and around the world.
Can the Chosun Ilbo really even call itself a completely professional newspaper with this kind of pornographic and pedophilic photo coverage?
lets see… you call it “The Pornographic and Pedophilic Tendencies of the Chosun Ilbo” yet you show the offensive photos too. I guess you have pedophilic tendencies too.
LOL
Am I missing something? Not going to defend the Chosun Ilbo, but your description of the photos as “underage girls in their school uniforms” and “foreigners in their bikinis at the beach” sound more “pornographic” and “pedophilic” than the actual photos.
I guess, to each, his own. I feel the underskirt shots of the schoolgirls were over-the-top, unnecessary, and certainly didn’t require over a dozen shots to make the point.
Hmm — that’s specious logic. The problem isn’t in showing the pictures themselves, which I did as examples, but that the Chosun Ilbo focuses on such topics again and again, with little news context, and with far too many pics or much detail to be worthy of the story. The pics were shown here because the story IS that of the Chosun Ilbo constantly taking such pics, again and again. There’s the context. If you feel that just showing the pics means I am participating in exploitation itself, when they are obviously examples to underline the criticism — and the pics are public and still available on the Chosun Site, anyway — I think you completely missed the point. And if the concern had been about their identity, or the welfare on an individual in a given pic, they wouldn’t be reproduced here. But as it was, the point was to show that the Chosun Ilbo engages in a pattern of giving an inordinate amount of space to subjects of questionable newsworthiness and taste.
“Chosun Ilbo engages in a pattern of giving an inordinate amount of space to subjects of questionable newsworthiness and taste.”
Sounds like you have too much time on your hands. I see lots of newspapres and stories that are of “questionable newsworthiness and taste.” You know what I do, I move on with my life. Anyway, if the Chosun ilbo is guily of being pedo’s for running the story, then I would say that the same critera should be applied to you.
This post is example numero uno of the pot calling the kettle black.
Consider a post from June 12, 2009 titled “Real Stats, Not Fearmongering”. In comment number 5 of this post, commentator “Matt” wrote that:
“Take a look at you own portfolio of photographs and think about why some people might think foreigners are nymphomaniacs and have a predilection for young girls.”
In response Mr. Hurt replied:
“Did I ever say I didn’t have a predilection for young girls? I certainly don’t have a predilection for OLD ladies. Hey, maybe I’m even a nymphomaniac. Or I sniff feet and rub myself in shrimp cocktail sauce while I do it.
Point is, that’s my business, not illegal, and doesn’t affect anyone outside my home.” (emphasis mine)
Is anyone not seeing the slight problem here? In one instance Mr. Hurt defends his amore for nubile Korean females but then in another castigates Koreans for having those same desires. He has the same desire and acts on those desires by happily snapping photographs and publishing them on his site under the pretext of “art”. And so do the photographer and layout editor at the Chosun. Yet in his mind, one is deemed harmless and the other signifying the decline of serious journalism in Korea if not civilization (Yes, I know that’s a bit of hyperbole there. But then again, Mr. Hurt himself engages exactly in the same sorts of rhetorical excesses so I merely thought I’d dish the same out to him). I don’t know, but the statements made by Mr. Hurt in different instances lack any meaningful consistency.
But perhaps this is to be expected from him. After all, in having invested oneself so wholeheartedly toward a certain agenda its inevitable that one loses the capacity for serious self-reflection and humility. Perhaps its the only way that one can get through the endeavor he has committed to. But in saying that such a thing is inevitable in no way means that it is excusable.
Oh, please. The Chosun Ilbo, or any other respected newspaper, deals with NEWS. It is a NEWS outlet. Therefore, one of the standards their editors should be using is one of NEWSWORTHINESS. And having more pictures of water-soaked teenage girls than violent domestic protests in the streets or other actually important matters where a staff photographer could be dispatched is simply embarrassing, and that’s just for starters. And I guess you missed the whole irony of my quote. Let me break it down for you: I don’t run a newspaper. I run a blog. I make photo books. I publish pictures. I’m not in the NEWS business. Hence, I could take pictures of girls’ feet all day long and you can choose to take or leave my book or site. Even if I made a nationwide magazine called “Feet News”, it would be expected to be full of news about feet, and that’d be OK. Seeing that my blog/online magazine is ostensibly about STREET FASHION, having lots of pictures of snappily-dressed young ladies is going to happen much more often than having pictures of beef protests, members of the National Assembly fighting, etc.
Understand? Therefore, if I want to have pictures of schoolgirl fashion trends, or even “rituals of spring” kind of stories with schoolgirls running through fountains accompanied by 20+ pictures, it would actually probably fit on my site. Or me rubbing myself in shrimp cocktail sauce would make sense about my site about “Body and Food Art” or what have you.
But the Chosun Ilbo is not only a newspaper, but one of the oldest and respected newspapers in the country. NEWSWORTHINESS is a key part of the question, as it would be for The New York Times. And despite the fact that I MAY like scantily-clad schoolgirls on a PERSONAL level, or even like to buy or even MAKE magazines about just such that subject — or like rubbing myself in shrimp cocktail sauce — the repetitive “foreigners in bikinis” photos and anything involving Korean schoolgirls showing skin is not NEWSWORTHY. Get it? Especially when they do it again and again and again, it’s the pattern that’s bothersome. On top of the fact that the kind of pictures they’re taking are technically the same as those private citizens are being arrested for AS PRECISELY sexual harassment. Neither the journalistic ethics or the legal contradictions make any sense here.
SO, Charles Tilly, do you finally GET IT? Me desiring or even snapping nubile Korean females has NOTHING to do with the price of pop in Arkansas. I’m not a national newspaper, nor do I operate under slogans such as “All the news that’s fit to print.” Fit to print, newsworthy, in the public interest, for the public good — is that distinction between the expected duties of a NATIONAL NEWSPAPER and a PRIVATE CITIZEN clear to you yet? And in terms of that apparent problem, KMW’s purpose is to point things like that out. If this had been the NYT, nothing would be different about my criticism. If it had been MAXIM, well, what does one say?
While you throw around the term “newsworthy” while abusing the caps lock key, it should be pointed out that I’m in no way arguing whether said photos were newsworthy or not.
While on the subject of “newsworthy”, it seems that you’re flinging around a concept in the process of criticizing while never giving a precise definition of what that concept is in your eyes. I have an intuitive sense of what you’re getting at but I do see it as necessary that you be more precise so that your argument is more than just plumes of smoking coming out of your ass. After all, to some readers of the Chosun, photos of girls in their school uniforms or bikini clad foreign women maybe newsworthy. It’s sort of like Willy Geist’s “News You Can’t Use” segment on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”. Frankly, if find the whole concept of what is newsworthy to be a rather relative thing. Me, I like hardball Washington politics, economics, latest foreign policy machinations, and wonkish policy analysis in the op-ed pages. But then again some consider that rather stale and find more “newsworthy” the travails of Ruth Madoff and how she’s banned from getting her highlights done at an upscale Manhattan salon. Different strokes for different folks. But really, I’d like to hear your take on what you think constitutes as “newsworthy” for Korea’s most august print daily.
Finally, yes it is true that the Chosun is one of Korea’s oldest and respected print dailies. And yes, they have a social obligation to inform the the citizenry of the days important events. That being said, however, also keep in mind that the Chosun at the end of the day is a BUSINESS (see I too can capitalize concepts and words that I think are important!) Have you ever considered the possibility that maybe the Chosun came to the conclusion that in order to bring their readers the sort “newsworthy” items, that they may also from time to time have to put out items that fall short of what is “newsworthy” in order to attract readers and hence advertising dollars?
Think of it this way: It’s like how Steven Soderbergh makes a purely “Hollywood/commercial” film in order to have the financing and opportunity to make more idiosyncratic/indie pictures. Playing along in one area to get along in another. But perhaps this concept is too alien for you Mr. Hurt. From everything I’ve read from you, this level of nuance is sort of beyond your grasp. But let’s me be charitable here and give you a chance to complicate what I said.
I agree with the Metropolitan on the how the chosun proves that they are a bunch of PERVERTS regularly dreaming about high school girls and the color of their panties. I do not agree with his use of the word “underage.”
This ain’t America or New York, Korean men in their 40’s, 50’s, and up can LEGALLY have sex with 13 year old Korean girls. So what you think is “underage” is not what Korean men and more importantly the Korean Supreme Court thinks.
However SICK and SAD as it is, please remember that there is not one age that constitutes “underage.” Old Korean men LOVE high school girls and LOVE to see pictures objectifying women on the FRONT PAGE newspaper. Don’t you know by now that women are 2nd class citizens. Hell, they can go across the street or next door to the double barber shop poles and get their rocks off any minute of the day. Some or all Korean Court houses have AMMAS within about 5 minutes on foot, do you suppose they are there for Korean Attorneys and Judges?
None of the shots linked or shown on the site are upskirt pictures. Clearly, you either don’t know what an upskirt shot is, or you are simply being as sensational as the media you are angry at.
The entire planet is full of “news” sites that have sexually charged articles, information, and pictures.
Yes, some of them are. And it doesn’t necessarily matter that several were shot from a 300mm lens from GROUND level, with the photographer standing BELOW ground level, as several of the shots were, with the orange from the Chosun Ilbo logo thankfully giving a little of needed cover. It’s the question of emphasis, newsworthiness, and whether you need to dispatch staff photographers to take 20 pictures to make a simple point.
Less pictures on that site are dedicated to world news events, riots, and other REAL news than the bikini, wet schoolgirl, and skirt shots.
THAT’S also a major part of the point you’ve missed.
The point you have missed, is that none of the pictures are upskirt. You are wrong about that, and I am sorry you refuse to accept the fact that calling those shots upskirt is bogus. I’m not disagreeing that the Chosun Ilbo is overly sexual. So is the Toronto Sun. But to say that those pictures are upskirt, is also wrong. You could make your same point about the Chosun ilbo not spending enough time on world events and sending staff photographers to meaningful shoots without calling those shots upskirt. It’s also true that the Chosun blurs out Korean faces and does not blur out foreign faces. That is also not up for dispute…and is wrong of them to do so. But when it comes to your choice of vocabulary…you are wrong. Nowhere in those pictures do you see up the skirt. You see thigh. Thigh because of a short skirt, but not panties because of an upskirt. Fact is, I am not going to change your opinion, so I am going to stop trying.
Metro, I have to disagree also calling these “upskirt”. Maybe you’re too busy fapping to your own subpar pictures and websites to realize that you’re in this retarded media frenzy yourself.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/feetmanseoul/3683474704/
Oh snap, what’s that? Oh shit, it’s a fucking “upskirt”.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/feetmanseoul/3662315372/in/photostream/
ANOTHER!
And because you’re turning “newslessness” or whatever you want to call it, into “actual news” on your generic Korean blog, you’re just another part of the disease.
Boom. Roasted.
[...] at Korean Media Watch, there is an article titled “The Pornographic and Pedophilic Tendencies of the Chosun Ilbo“, which criticizes the Korean Daily for being overly sexual in its content. I do not disagree [...]
IP address 209.107.217.11, you’re banned.
OK, geniuses.
One is the premiere national newspaper, equivalent to the New York Times, the other is a fashion blog. Even if it’s called FeetSniffer.com, well, then, that’s the point of the difference.
Newsworthiness, emphasis, and yes, camera angle is important if you are a reporter for a national newspaper. If you’re a blogger for SniffOldSocks.com, then there that is.
And even if I do concede they’re not purely “upskirt” — didn’t think there was a strict definition that you guys are obssessing over — did you even READ the other points in the article? Emphasis, lack of mosaic on foreign faces in bathing suits but arresting those taking the same pictures as sexual harassers, or the reporting of schoolgirls jumping through water.
The POINT is that when you look at these photo essays on Chosun.com, REAL news events get half the pictures or photo coverage than these regular fluff pieces. And if you look at the actual photo essays themselves, you’ll see multiple, blow-by-blow shots of the same girl in different stages of undress.
Inappropriate and way too much to simply illustrate a story.
And if you’ve got more pictures of that than riots in Iran, what kind of newspaper is this?
Morgan T, I feel far from roasted. Or Chiamatt. If your ONLY point is that these don’t fit your definition of upskirt, OK, even conceding that point, that’s not the only part of the argument.
And comparing a national newspaper to a blog dedicated to street fashion means you’re totally missing the point.
How many times do I have to say I don’t disagree with your other points?
Well, that being the case, is the technical definition of “upskirt” really worth getting up in arms about? OK, they didn’t stick the camera up her skirt Japanese porn site style, but I had no idea that so many people had such a specific definition of “upskirt” — I really didn’t. So, I guess my only mistake was not having the same strict definition as others apparently do. But still, there is all this rage and rancor over my apparent gross mischaracterization — almost as if this was some purposeful distortion of the apparently sacrosanct term “upskirt” — if your only beef is the definition of that specific term, is it really worth all the trouble you went to? Or for people to go to a completely unrelated site of mine, pulling up an image, and going “gotcha, ya hypocrite!” you yourself are an upskirt snapper, when 1) my pictures also don’t “show panties” and 2) even if they did, I’m not the Chosun Ilbo.
Point is, if you agree on all the other points of the article, but you are gravely serious about saying “you are wrong” and making a big point of proving that they don’t show panties, so they don’t meet some technical definition of upskirt shots — come on. Better to point out your definition than to come at me all serious and seemingly offended, saying “I know I’m not going to change your opinion”, as if *I* actually care and am being stubborn about the technical definition of “upskirt.” If the technical definition is “showing panties” and not “thigh” — I do humbly apologize, and I am wrong. Seriously — I am not wedded to the definition. But to the extent that several people, including a school principal and two South Asian men, have been arrested for either shooting pictures-with-the-intention-of-peeking-as-far-as-possible-into-the-region-covered-by-the-skirt or pictures of foreign women on the beach, I do think it’s a problem.
And I ask, then, if “upskirt” can only be used to refer to a picture showing a woman’s panties, and you agree that these pictures shown were “too sexual” — we agree on every point except for the terminology, apparently — what words would you use? I could say something like “shooting up the skirt” or “shooting from an inappropriately low angle” or something, but “upskirt” seemed appropriate as a term describing what the photographers were trying to do, which is show as much skin as possible from a low angle. Can you at least understand why I might choose the term? Obviously, I was not trying to say that they were showing panties, as the pictures most obviously were not. I was simply describing their apparent intention to be get as much skin as possible in the shots. Dude — I’m being completely serious when I say I didn’t have such a strict definition in mind. You win on that round. But I also ask the question — who am I offending in “misusing” that word? Is it that important? Linguistically, I think the word served its purpose, and I don’t think most normal people have the “must be showing panties only” definition in their heads. Are you really that offended by the usage? You seem to think I was misrepresenting something, perhaps even purposefully, but I’ll counter and say that most people aren’t nitpicking over the panties/no-panties showing definition of the word, but it’s more about the apparent intent of the picture.
And in the end, I don’t think the police are using that definition. When they arrested him for trying to shoot up the skirt of a high school girl, if someone said that he was trying to shoot “upskirt” pictures…isn’t this rhetorically accurate, at least in the way most people use the term? Or am I somehow completely, grossly out-of-touch?
Frankly, I don’t see the point of the indignation over the “misuse” of the term, even if a friendly message pointing out that my understanding of the word may be off might be. I mean, from your tone, you seem as though you have a big problem with the post, but yes, we agree on most points. My question is — is the definition really worth more than a quibble?
P.S. But what is doubly confusing is the fact you leave a comment on one of my pictures on Flickr saying “OMG! That’s an upskirt!” Were you being sarcastic? Because, according to your own definition, it’s not. There aren’t even close to any panties there. I don’t get you, dude…
I very much think vocabulary is important, especially in the media. But it should also be important for a site that is criticizing the media. There are very good (sometimes very bad) reasons words like “genocide” are avoided, and there are arguments on both sides – for and against – whether they should or shouldn’t be used. terrorist vs. freedom fighter. upskirt vs. inappropriately revealing. friendly game of poker vs. gambling ring. The list goes on.
I am not trying to blow this out of proportion, troll, or cause a flame war. In my post (on smokehard), I quoted the following line of text from your above post:
“If you are a Chosun Ilbo photographer, you can publish bikini shots and upskirt photos of teenage girls, but if you’re a brown foreigner, it’s “sexual harrassment?” ”
I then said:
Ok, you say in the article (or was it at the one you linked at KoreaBeat) that in addition to the “brown foreigners” a couple of Koreans were arrested as well. The sentence is clearly sensational. It would have come off much better if the post had said “If you are a Chosun Ilbo photographer, you can……,but if you are a member of the general public, it’s sexual harassment.”
My comment on your flickr was sarcastic, yes. I know it isn’t an upskirt picture, but by the definition in the above post, it is. Again, in my post I said:
“By your definition of upskirt, you too are guilty of taking upskirt photographs, even though I don’t think they are upskirt photographs. The only difference is that you do not work for the Chosun Ilbo, your photos did not appear on their website, and the women you took photographs of were not in middle or high school.”
In your second last comment above, you said:
“did you even READ the other points in the article?”
Yes, I did, and I mentioned I didn’t disagree with them a number of times. I really would appreciate it if you would read what I have written before asking me if I have read what you have written.
I don’t really think there is more to say on this. I agree with what you are trying to say, I just don’t agree with some of the language you are choosing to convey your opinions.
The more I read this blog, and the more I see Mike Hurt and his style of debate and discussion, the more I think uncomfortable I am with him acting as a “watchdog” of Korean media.
90% or so of the K-bloggers I have read are all in agreement that the gamblers breaking the law should not expect to get away with it. And that this video is a pointless rant, and it should not represent them. I told Mike that he is burning up a lot of good will, and that pool of good will is drying up.
And as soon as there are more editors in place, you’ll hear less of me. Just like Hub of Sparkle, which I co-founded. Don’t worry, I want to deal with illogical commenters who don’t actually LISTEN very much about as much as they want to see me.
And for the 42nd time, no one is trying to break the law and “get away with it.” I also think that if they are guilty of breaking the law regarding private games, they should be punished for it. So, include me in your fictional “90%.” They themselves agree that if they are guilty of breaking laws regarding private gambling, they should be given the proper punishment, which is a fine.
What they are simply saying they broke the minor law of a PRIVATE gambling game, but did not the crime of running an underground gambling operation FOR PROFIT, which is a charge that the police and the media are pushing on them without any evidence in that direction.
I don’t know why people can’t see that very obvious distinction, and I don’t know why my reporting on it is somehow suspect or suspicious. In addition, they are being accused of being a drug distribution RING, which is also a baseless charge that comes from the police’s desire to look good in the media.
This a newsworthy story and a representative case of exaggeration by the media, and if their allegations are true, of police misconduct. I am really bewildered as to why so much ire is directed at me for simply reporting their side of the story.
HarGar, I don’t operate on the “good will” of your kind of vocal commenters. It’s not what motivates me to do these sites. And once this site gets its own momentum going, it’ll be just as self-sustaining and independent of me as Hub of Sparkle (which had to be cleared of haters and trolls just like this one will), as Fatmanseoul, and as successful as Feetmanseoul is among the Korean fashion community. More than gaining the “good will” of the most negative and vocal amongst you — you don’t really listen to what I say as much as react to the fact that they don’t like me personally — I make good content that speaks for itself. This site is off to a good start, and when it gets it’s own rhythm, other stories, and simply keeps documenting and getting the other side of the story out — no matter how unpopular it is or how much people don’t like the presenters — I hope it will be a force to get alternative narratives out there, to keep the Korean media in check, but short of that, at least make them more careful.
And with a little help and luck, it’ll succeed. The reactions of people like you, HarGar, who obviously aren’t even listening to the pertinent points, don’t matter to me. If you’re still stuck on the “do the crime, do the time” thing at THIS point in the debate, it’s obvious you haven’t been listening to anyone but yourself.
And last, if you don’t like me, or this site, then make something better. Please. I’m serious. If someone can make another positive force that helps fix this problem, I’m all for it. But my hunch is we won’t actually SEE anything come from you, HarGar, and in the end, are just a bystander who backseat drives and complains, but isn’t prepared to step up and actually DO anything.
Which is why I don’t listen to negative people like you.
Mr. Hurt decries the priapic tendencies of the Chosun editors for publishing photos of school-aged girls that he deems not “newsworthy” of such an august and venerable institution in South Korean society. According to him, he would be “ashamed” if such venerable American news outlets such as the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, or New York Time engaged in the sort of lewd behavior that he castigates the Chosun for.
Given the position that he has so self-righteously proclaimed for himself, I think that now is the time for Mr. Hurt to put his money where his mouth is. Why? For any of you living in the States who get a subscription to the NYT, there was-albeit below the fold-on the front page, a story about how porn movies no longer have carefully written scripts or intricate plots but-surprise-a cornucopia of sex scenes!!
(Here’s the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/business/media/08porn.html)
Now granted, this probably doesn’t reach to the level of bad taste exhibited by the Chosun with its photos of the school girls, but it’s still bad taste nonetheless, let alone “newsworthy”. In the week that we have a major military offensive occuring in Afghanistan, President Obama in Russia, and a G8 meeting, it befuddles me as why the so-called “Paper of Record” would put on its front page a story about the changing or now lack of storylines in adult films. Let me ask Mr. Hurt, do you think this is “newsworthy”? Are you not ashamed that the NYT would so shamelessly throw at its readers such sordid, smutty drivel?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means acting Puritanical. In fact, I found the story to be a rather provocative and a delightful read. But my personal preference aren’t really the point. I’m merely using one of today’s NYT headlines to highlight the inanity of your logic: The very newspaper that you use to criticize another, turns out in fact to publish tawdry material that is equally of questionable “newsworthiness”.
In your quest to point to all the flaws and warts of the Korean media landscape, have you deluded yourself?
One again Mr. Tilly eloquently argues “his point”, but what in fact is Mr. Tilly’s point? That South Korean newspapers have a high standard of reporting and that Mr. Hurt is deluded in his criticism of them? Surely not, since a short glance at any of the large circulation South Korean newspapers immediately reveals a glaring lack of journalistic professionalism: South Korean newspapers are full of distorted ’statistics’, racist comments, bias, wrong assertions, accusations, gossip, and poorly researched stories. In fact, they make a mockery of any kind of journalistic standard. Surely, Mr. Tilly as an educated man realizes this. Could it be that he has a personal bone to pick with Mr. Hurt? And if so, does he not think it unprofessional to do so in a public forum like this by constantly going off topic?
No ones going off topic here James. Like your, Mr. Hurt loves to bludgeon the Korean media for the sort of sins and transgressions that he ignorantly proclaims barely exist in the American press.
He says that the Korean media acts in X-fashion and then goes on to self-righteously declare how ashamed and horrified he’d be if such behavior was engaged in by an American media outlet. But the fact of the matter is, that when such behavior is actually committed by an American media outlet, we hear nary a peep. In case you haven’t picked up on it by now, what Mr. Hurt’s doing is spinning outrage and disingenuosness from what is in actuality smugness.
Fact of the matter, when you actually take the time to do a deep reading of BOTH American and Korean presses, your going to find that on the whole neither one is worse or better than the other.
And no, I have no personal bone to pick with Mr. Hurt. How could, I don’t even know him personally. You see, you’re making the same idiotic mistake as Mr. Hurt: just because somebody criticizes what you’ve written, however strongly, doesn’t mean that they have a personal beef with you. Furthermore, there’s nothing “unprofessional” about my criticisms of Mr. Hurt. You or he may not like them, but that hardly makes me “unprofessional”.
@James: “…a short glance at any of the large circulation South Korean newspapers immediately reveals a glaring lack of journalistic professionalism: South Korean newspapers are full of distorted ’statistics’, racist comments, bias, wrong assertions, accusations, gossip, and poorly researched stories. In fact, they make a mockery of any kind of journalistic standard…”
Are those distorted statistics within wrong, biased assertions in Korean newspapers a bit similar to comments like, “South Korean newspapers are full of distorted statistics, racist comments, bias…”?
[...] on a hotel rooftop (without permission), foreign women lounging at a pool (without permission), wet high school girls changing their clothes (without permission), and wet Russian and Ukranian high school girls (without permission)…and [...]
[...] we pointed out here before, there seems to be a pattern of arresting South Asian men for photographing what is apparently [...]
[...] at Korean Media Watch, there is an article titled “The Pornographic and Pedophilic Tendencies of the Chosun Ilbo“, which criticizes the Korean Daily for being overly sexual in its content. I do not disagree [...]