I write this entry because, until today, I had some small hope that the media might be salvaged from the bog it is currently in. An article I saw today on MSNBC.com has finally broken this hope.
The last few weeks could very well be used as a crash course to educate the previously disinterested citizen on modern political journalism in America. Specifically, the crash course would share this diary entry's title.
The media are all too eager to report on the controversies in any issue, especially politics, because they believe it improves their ratings. Of course this is desirable, because the media are generally owned by corporations which require profit, rather than truthful journalism, to be the driving factor behind all media decisions.
The truth, journalistic integrity, and our very democracy all suffer the ignominy of being placed second or lower on a list of media priorities. This is, of course, about as far removed from the heady days of Edward Morrow as it can get, and it's proving to be more and more dangerous to our Republic.
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