Of the Media

There are so many news outlets in the world today. Twenty-four hour news coverage, internet news coverage as well as blogs like this fill the airways and internet with a daily assault of views, stories, reports and analysis. Or do we?

I am an avid watcher of T.V. news. I watch MSNBC, CNN, FOX (not as much as the other two), ABC, NBC, CBS and all those in between. What strikes me the most is that the days of news coverage that is indicative of textbook definitions of fair, balanced and challenging seem to be gone and a thing of the past. What remains are anchors who lack seasoning. Reporters who don't know how to report and interviews that lack interviewing skills.

What do I see? I see female anchors on major news programs who do not know how to dress for their profession. I see analysts not speaking to the public but to the person sitting next to them. I see sensationalized questions to speak to personal pain and trauma and not to underlying causes of the circumstances that lead to the events of the day.

I see death and devastation around the world and I see people called to be reporters not asking questions that involve the inconsistency of policies of the governments that state their claim for justice and freedom. Where are the true investigative reporters? Where are the days of comprehensive coverage or are we locked into a paradigm of tabloid T.V. and ratings over investigation?

At least we have Tim Russert...