Hi CIndy,

Cindy Haglund wrote in a message to all:

CH> You think the newspapers are here to provide you unbiased news, but
CH> the truth is they only exist to make money & 90%+ of their profits
CH> come from billionaire corporations who have their own agendas. . . 

CH> The mags & newspapers only report that which won't 'bite the hand
CH> that feeds them' (&, you, as the customer don't even rank as feeding
CH> them a crumb!)

I was reading a book a few years ago by some learned and respected
journalist that made many of the same points. I wish I could recall the
author's name.

HE lamented the loss of the spirit of objectivity and willingness of
reporters and news editors to seek out those stories which the public
needed to hear, because they had a right to know. As he put it, in those
days your local news media was locally owned and operated. IF they offended
the factory bosses from out of town by exposing unsafe working conditions,
or the local politician it was no skin off said publisher's nose.

Reporters and editors of yesteryear believed in a free and independent
press. These venerable folk saw themselves as the public's guardians. WHen
skulduggery was afoot they believed the public should hear about it, and
hold their leaders accountable.

I don't bother to listen to local broadcast radio anymore because it's all
phoned in from out of town.  NO local news, no local content.

This writer I mentioned earlier said that even the journalism schools
aren't instilling in their students this feeling of being guardians of a
sacred trust. AS he put it, back in the day before megacorporations
controlled the media the public could depend on reporters and editors to
bring them the information they needed to choose leaders wisely, and hold
said leaders accountable when they failed to serve those who elected them.

OUr media is too busy showing us the latest escapades of Britney and Paris,
and not enough real news. Real news causes us to think, to question.  REal
news stimulates us to action.  Yes, it can trigger public outrage.
COnversely, it can also instill civic pride and a sense of community.

THIs old curmudgeon hates to say it, but these may be lost to us forever in
the latest round of meaningless sensationalism and pandering to the
prurient interests by the megacorporations involved in running the media
outlets.


WHich ancient ruler was it that asserted if you gave the public an endless
stream of bread and circuses they'd ignore real problems? THese days the
bread they'd like to feed us is the intellectual equivalent of wonderbread,
no nutritional value whatsoever.

Regards,
           Richard
... A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+