And Now for Something Completely Different

Media Fails Us

Posted Saturday, September 18, 2010, at 5:36 PM

WARNING!!!! THE FOLLOWING BLOG IS MY OPINION!!! IT REPRESENTS MY THOUGHTS SOLELY. THANK YOU.

Okay that is out of the way.

Our media today has failed us. No longer do we have a media that is interested in digging and researching a story and then giving us both sides of the story. You know, it used to be called reporting.

Today, they are much more interested in beating another news organization to the punch and then reporting the story whether or not the story is true.

All the major news organizations do this on a daily basis. The blame in my mind (while not squarely it is mostly) is the 24/7 news cycle. When I was growing up we had one 24/7 news network. We had three networks that did the news once a day. In other words the networks had all day to get ready for their one show and they did the research. They made sure everything was square before they put the story out.

Sadly, today, as long as there is what is considered a "trusted source" every network will run with it ... as soon as one of them goes first.

They no longer ask probing questions. They let public figures say what they want even if the question is never answered. The Sunday shows used to be dominated with fair and balanced shows. If you had one person on representing one side of the story, the shows always brought on someone else to represent the other side of the story. Now, most of the Sunday shows usually only have one person on representing the story, and sometimes three or four. The other side is hardly ever represented.

Our media has become tame, not really ever wanting to make someone mad, because they want them back as a guest. I long for the days when deepthroat was running around and two reporters single handedly brought down an administration. Today, it is just make it up and hope it sticks.

Our media has failed us.

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Personally I think NPR still does a pretty good job..

-- Posted by Damu on Sat, Sep 18, 2010, at 8:57 PM
I agree but they are not exactly on the national level as the others. They actually do the reporting and the research needed before running with a story.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Sun, Sep 19, 2010, at 1:10 PM
That would of course be Jon Stewart, which is sad that a comedian on a comedy network is the most trusted man in news (which I hate saying because I love the show).

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Sun, Sep 19, 2010, at 4:53 PM
Actually, it appears that we can only get true news in the form of comical satire which although quite hilarious, is quite sad indeed.

I assume you guys are both aware of this?

http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/susan_brooks_thistlethwaite/...

Should be excellent!

-- Posted by Damu on Sun, Sep 19, 2010, at 9:33 PM
Yes I am it should be very interesting. It sure is nice that they scheduled the rallies on a nonchalant day.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Mon, Sep 20, 2010, at 1:03 AM
Don't forget economics; as newspapers cut back their staffs, the electronic media who depend on them for leads miss out as well.

-- Posted by croswind on Mon, Sep 20, 2010, at 4:04 PM
Wow! Your just learning this? It's been yellow journalism for the past 40 years. They all want to be investigative reporters. Good news doesn't sell news papers. Remember the bubble headed bleached blond comes on at 5:00, she speaks of a plane crash with a gleam in her eye. We all like dirty laundry

-- Posted by Keda46 on Mon, Sep 20, 2010, at 5:09 PM
It appears that the recession has ended. I am sure this will surprise a lot of people.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/20/panel-economists-says-recession-ended...

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Mon, Sep 20, 2010, at 10:41 PM
Yellow journalism has been around longer than 40 years. I don't believe that is what's going on now for the most part. Yellow journalism is blatant but I believe a lot of what we see today is just plain laziness.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Mon, Sep 20, 2010, at 10:45 PM
I take no offense, just a difference of opinion.

-- Posted by MichaelHendricks on Tue, Sep 21, 2010, at 6:36 AM

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