summer 2021

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From journalism to phenomenology, life is as is.

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August 26 | “On ‘belief’” would be better titled “beyond belief” because it’s briefly about belief’s relation to knowing, action, and rationality. I don’t focus there on belief, but my intent remains. I do have a discussion to share soon.

Vistas in molecular engineering: “‘Inescapable’ COVID-19 Antibody Discovery: Neutralizes All Known SARS-CoV-2 Strains.” This is truly exciting. Notice in the article the technological means of gaining the results. Sooner than one might imagine, there will be no disease....

It is as: given as is

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from journalism to phenomenology

Professional journalism (distinct from promotional writing, disguised as “journalism”) has a default stance toward topic T that is “reportedly T” or “allegedly, T…” or, implicitly, “the story goes” or “It’s said that…” or “They say.” (Of course, a reliable source may simply assert what is the case, evincing trust by reputation.)

Representing what claims to be valid is separate from establishing the validity of it. Ordinarily, the two aren’t distinguished by a subject of reporting because the speaker/writer postures itself as trustworthy. Ordinary life postures itself as validly present.

But astute journalism frames the presumably frameless as being under question about its pretense of transparency. A subject of reporting may be playing a confidence game of “guileless” duplicity. “Who, me?”