Whatever Happened to Journalism?

I started my career in broadcasting when radio was less than a quarter century old; when major markets had only three or four television stations and those of us who were lucky enough to find our way into the media were just trying to figure out what the "one-eyed monster" was all about. We were inventing television and redefining radio as we went along. We had studios equipped with one or maybe two black and white cameras, and if we wanted to change lenses we did so on the air. There was no audio or videotape, no satellites, no 24 hr "news cycles" and no cable. If you wanted to record something you actually cut an acetate record or used Craig Curtis' new technology called Kinescope.

We, plunged forward with an idealism and intellectual integrity that, at best, could be called naive.

Of this we were sure, news was sacrosanct. When we went on the air we were journalists in the tradition of the newspaper columnists, writers and reporters who preceded us and from whom we learned. Broadcasting was taught in the journalism classes in both High Schools and College. There were no talking heads, no anchors filling time interviewing other anchors who echo their opinions. When there was a difference of opinion among qualified experts and guests, nobody tried to shout each other down with half truths and hyperbolic bullshit. We treated our audience and ourselves with respect. 

Today, when I force myself to sample what purports itself to be news, either local or on cable, I am heartsick. No matter where you look it's the same fear mongering, chirpy, over made-up chipmunks and concerned faced silver haired and tonged anchors mouthing endless platitudes aimed at convincing us that something "could've' happened except for the fact that they themselves are on guard and on the scene.

Now, why this harangue? Because last night I watched the first episode of HBO's new original drama "THE NEWSROOM".  From the opening Jeff Daniels monologue, aimed at an anchor to be, through the evolution of the program it is obvious that  Aaron Sorkin the producer/writer, is fed up with the state of broadcast news and is willing to say so in no uncertain terms. Check it out, so far it's an honest attempt to comment on the cynical underestimating the intelligence of the American audience, the disappearance of broadcast journalism and what might be a way to bring it back.

We STILL don't learn shit from history

Part 2.

The following is from Democratic President Harry Truman, while on a cross country campaign tour in 1948. On September 19, Truman said: "You stayed home in 1946 (referring to the mid-term Congressional election) and you got the 80th Congress, and you got just exactly what you deserved. You didn't exercise your God-given right to to control this country. Now you're going to have another chance."  

Then on September 20th: "Understand me, when I speak of what Republicans (The 80th Congress) have been doing. I'm not talking of the average Republican voter," Truman told the twenty-five thousand people spread across the lawn of the State Capitol at Denver.

      "Nobody knows better than I that man for man, individually, most Republicans are fine people. But there's a big difference between the individual Republican voter and the policies of the Republican Party. Something happens to Republican leaders when they get control of Government.

      Republicans in Washington have a habit of becoming curiously deaf to the voice of the people. They have a hard time hearing what the ordinary people of the country are saying. But they have no trouble at all hearing what Wall Street is saying. They are able to catch the slightest whisper from big business and the special interests."       

Sound familiar?

We don't learn shit from history!

Years ago I did a radio interview with PBS Program Host and Historian David McCullough. His monumental biography of Harry S. Truman had just been released in paperback and I was lucky enough to catch him for a chat. The book, Truman, is over 1,100 pages and took more than 10 years to compile and write. I didn't have time to do more than a quick scan before the interview, but at that time I was blown away by the meticulous detail of both the man and his Presidency, including the political machinations and divisiveness between the sitting Democratic President and the Republican Congress. (You've just guessed where I'm going with this.) A couple of weeks ago, perhaps out of guilt, I picked it up and started reading. 

The parallels between 1947 and today are shocking. Just as shocking are the reversed partisan politics between the Bush administration and his equally recalcitrant Democratic Congress. The only thing lacking to make the comparison perfect is the fact that Truman didn't have to deal with the 24 hour cable news cycles and instantaneous and uneducated media bias of Fox and MSNBC and their ilk. Now what's the point of all this?  It's to recognize the almost divine intervention of some sort of higher power in the framing of the United States Constitution. Administration after administration from John Adams on has faced the exact same resistance and partisan bickering as did Truman, Bush and Obama. And yet, through crisis after crisis, military conflicts, economic disasters, 2 world wars and a usually incompetent Congress, the United States and our abused and battered representative democracy has survived. 

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Now, I've got to go take my Blood Pressure Med's.

NO WONDER THE 99% IS SO ANGRY AND IT AIN'T GONNA GET NO BETTER FOLKS!