I read a wonderful editorial by Charles M. Madigan today in the Chicago Tribune.He talks about why conservative critics dislike the modern news media (with the exception of talk radio, of course, and Fox News. They're fair and balanced.) I would link to it, but the Tribune wants you to subscribe in order to read its online articles, which I think blows. Thus, I will summarize and quote the editorial.
"The problem conservative critics have with modern news media is the same problem conservative critics have always had with news media... what they really dislike is journalism.
"...Take the war in Iraq, for example. It is hard in the news biz not to notice the shifting collections of rationales for this war... torture is another one of those things we don't like to hear about. Truth is no defense. It's viewed as unpatriotic. Maybe as liberal. But it's not. it's just journalism. In a democracy based on the thought that an informed electorate will make wise decisions, someone has to point out all of these unpleasant things, just so you know what your government is up to.
"...What the haters hate the most is journalism. They would live in a world where everything is wonderful, where the government does only good things, where no one keeps a casualty count, and where all the stories are as positive as a Reader's Digest report on what's so darned good about America.
"What a wonderful, Orwellian place that would be."
It reminds me of the ABC News Director's bewilderment at being accused of liberal bias for running an 20/20 investigative report on how the Department of Homeland Security took a holiday in Hawaii at public expense. He said, "How is running a story on how taxpayer money is spent either liberal or conservative?" Good question. But good questions are something the Bush Administration frowns on.
