The more that I watch cable news networks, the regular networks, and read print/on line journalism the more that I believe that true journalists are a dying breed. There are so many so called pundits and commentators out there spouting opinions, that real news gets lost in the shuffle. The commentators on the cable networks have for the most part become nothing more than propagandists. Take MSNBC for instance. Is there anybody there that can honestly say that they are unbiased journalists? Olbermann, Maddow and that nut Mathews are nothing more than mouthpieces for the far (sometimes far far) left. They can be rather interesting, but they certainly are not taken seriously by the "silent majority." Do they realize that most of us look upon them as somewhat of a joke? That is doubtful; they probably believe they are mainstream. They most definitely do not practice journalism. I would hope that even they would agree. If not, they are deluuuuusional. The exact same thing can be said for most of those a Fox News. Hannity is a interesting dude but lets be honest, he is a cheerleader for the Republican Party. He would never admit that however. I think that even he has the sense though to not consider himself a real journalist. Glen Beck, or a least his staff, do perform some real investigative journalism. He definitely has an agenda, which dilutes his true merit as a journalist, but they do some real investigative work on his show. Some of the things uncovered recently have been rather amazing regarding some of President Obama's associates.
Lou Dobbs over at CNN is more of the same - A person spouting his opinion. Interesting perhaps, but journalism, perhaps not. CNN probably is still the closest thing to having true unbiased journalism in the cable news market. Fox News is not "fair and balanced" and MSNBC is for the most part leftist propaganda. Nothing more.
What is Journalism? It is the art of reporting the news without any slant whatsoever. This would be regardless of the individual journalists' personal beliefs. If a left leaning reporter found himself face to face with evidence of corruption on the part of a leftist politician, they would go after the facts with just as much vigor as they would with a politician that they disagree with. There would be no bias. Just the facts, that is what would be pursued. Are these type of reporters left? Where are all the tobacco stained, rumpled suit, whiskey habit, reporters of a time gone by? Dead and gone I would guess. Those were reporters. They have a lot in common with detectives of a bygone era. This new breed of journalist just does not cut the mustard. Now if you will forgive me, I must go get my hair styled to look good for my interview at the local paper.
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