No Tears Shed For Newspaper Owners

No Tears Shed For Newspaper Owners
(Cross posted on Square State)

A friend of mine is one of thousands of unemployed journalists in Colorado. She has the wisdom of thirty years experience as a top-notch reporter and Editor, combined with up-to-date web-based blogging and new media technology. Still, she is having trouble finding a job.

Why?

America's standard for "truth" has diminished to the point its' newspapers have all but disappeared.

Thirty years ago, when my friend and other young students were studying in high schools and colleges across the country, journalism was a noble profession, attracting articulate people with a passion for truth, justice and the highest respect for a democratic, free press. Every evening during the dinner hour, Americans watched "the most trusted main in America", Walter Cronkite, tell us what was going on in the world with a sense of urgency and integrity. We never questioned his reports, knowing the journalistic code of ethics was at least as strong as the temptation to take money from sponsors.

There was another reason to trust media journalism thirty years ago. In 1979, the conservative movement's "Moral Majority", had barely begun its' assault on American journalism, with unsupported rants that all mainstream media had a "liberal bias". In 1979, few people took the radical conservative group seriously. Later, bumper stickers would surface all over America reassuring the masses, "The moral majority is niether".

Thirty years ago, the Fairness Doctrine, a policy of the Federal Communications Commission, dictated news programs were obligated to be presented in a fair and truthful manner. The rationale for the Doctrine is that airwaves, like air, are public domain. In 1987, under Ronald Reagan, the Doctrine was repealed and has never been re-instituted. Television news programs and newspapers were no longer obligated to tell the truth, to provide equal coverage of controversial issues, or back up assertions with facts. A relatively unknown, right-wing extremist named Rush Limbaugh was then freed to say anything he wanted, anytime he wanted.

In the smoldering ashes of journalistic integrity, Republican political strategist Roger Ailes gave birth to cable television's Fox News in 1996, arriving just in time to over-report Monica Lewinsky's sexual escapades and Bill Clinton's marital infidelity. The Columbine tragedy in April, 1999 was followed by a preponderance of theories that focused on infrequent church attendance and lack of respect for traditional "family values", rather than debates on access to machine guns by testosterone-driven, clinically depressed students. George Bush was elected (or rather, selected) as neo-conservatives were gaining ground. On September 11, 2001, America was attacked by foreigners, and Fox News found an even bigger niche in nationalistic, ethnocentric fervor.

Conservative media bias became big business. On every channel, in every newspaper, the media suddenly became full of waving flags(as if the flag is a partison symbol!), patriotic parades, stories about rap-music-censoring mothers, talk shows criticizing teen's scandalous clothing, and teens pledging their sexual purity in ring ceremonies. Fundamentalist church membership skyrocketed all over the country.

In 2004, popular Network news anchor Dan Rather of the CBS Evening News learned the hard way not to take on the neo-conservative-influenced corporate media. On September 08, 2004, CBS's "60 Minutes", reported:

"While Sen. Kerry has been targeted for what he did in Vietnam, President Bush has been criticized for avoiding Vietnam by landing a spot in the Texas Air National Guard - and then failing to meet some of his obligations."

For his bravery on this story, Dan Rather was investigated, chastised, humiliated, and accused of "failure to follow basic journalistic principles". "60 Minutes Wednesday" was cancelled, and after reassignment, Dan Rather resigned from CBS the following year.

Meanwhile, use of the internet exploded (thanks, Al Gore!). Sensing disingenuous criticism about the "liberal media", young America turned elsewhere for its' news. They wanted something more fresh, less judgmental and REAL. The weblog, shortened to "blog", was born. Suddenly, everyone could be a journalist, reporting from their own little corner of the Universe. The election of 2008 was due in part to people all over the globe comparing notes on-line, and realizing corporate-owned news did not reflect their reality at all. America was not suffering from moral decline after all; it was suffering from corporate take-over using the religious right's end-of-days fear-mongering as a convenient tool.

As any observer of the Fox-news created tea-bagging events can attest, the average age of their protesters appears to be 60-70 years of age. The habits of young America have been set, and blindly following corporate-owned media is not one of them.

As of July 4th, 105 newspapers have gone out of business in 2009, and more are added to the chopping block every week. Network evening news' ratings have plummeted, no matter how gorgeous they make Katy Couric look night after night. After Walter Cronkite passed away in July, 2009, Time magazine asked again, "Who is the most trusted journalist in America?" and the answer was... comedian Jon Stewart. Corporate-owned Time magazine immediately attributed the result to be a reflection of the American sense of humor (this blogger is not so sure).

When I hear my friend speak of trying to change careers during what should be the peak of her impressive profession as a journalist, my heart-strings tug for her and thousands of other journalists all over the country. Dan Rather made enough money to retire comfortably; my friend has not. I know she will put her talent and wisdom to good use in another field, but it will take some time, effort and money to retrain -- money that could be better used to send her kids to college. Was it her kids' fault corporate-owned media took the easy route, dumbed down their stories, and slanted their reporting to appease neo-conservatives who have no respect for science or reason? This liberal's heart may be bleeding, but it is not for the owners of the newspapers and network news' sponsors.

It's for all of us.

Rest in peace, Walter Cronkite. You will be missed.