This is a great summary of the problems that I have with newspaper articles. I've had a problem with the way news was reported ever since I learned to do real research. usually, my argument revolves around two points:

- Lack of Context; this actually can be split into the first two points that this article makes: "The longstanding facts" and "How journalists know what they know".

- The Monopoly of the Associated Press. The argument against monopoly is hardly unique to the press, though.

When I read an article in the newspaper, there are many questions that come to my mind.

In the worst case scenario, I'm reading an AP article which omits the author's name. WTF? The author's credentials and background (including their history of previous articles) are very important in certain cases (and at the least gives me some idea of where they are coming from).

Any technical researcher who writes a paper must provide references to be taken seriously. Journalists should also have some obligation to cite background materials. If they take a quote out of context, they should tell me where I can find the full discussion. If there is some important historical background to the story, I'd like a reference to that information as well.