Good Journalism

Go see this now. I saw it today and then just walked around in a daze at how little the GOP, and we the idiot public have changed.

Today, in an age where the fear mongering from our government rivals that of the red scare and is not only unchecked but actually aided by a ratings-thirsty corporate media, we need movies like Good Night and Good Luck. We need to be reminded of how easy it was for the government to frighten the public and literally take our rights and liberties away. The way that complete abuse of power and abandonment of the constitution was ultimately checked was by a journalist, Edward R. Murrow, who was unafraid to ask tough questions. Unfortunately the press has changed, as Murrow ominously warned, and there are very few today in the so-called-liberal-media still brave enough to do anything close to what Murrow did.

Today we are lucky if the media stops for a second to check the lies they themselves are intentionally or unintentionally telling. They are busy arguing and promoting cconflict which makes for better ratings. Ignored in today's media are facts, and real stories that need to be told but may be a wash in the ratings. But every once in a while in the mainstream media there is a shining example of asking questions that need to be asked. Today Keith Olberman did something that until now was the stuff of bloggers and comedians (Jon Stewart, David Cross, Air America). He asked a serious, debatable question that if true, is right up there with McCarthyism/Red Scare legend, and endangers the Republic we live in. (Complete abuse of power/Boy who cried wolf, anyone?) If not true, then at least questions are being asked and debate is returning to national discussion.

Anyway, have you ever noticed that the "terror alerts" our government issues almost always follow bad news for the administration?

Well, many people have including the people at Countdown. Watch this for some good journalism that has been largely absent from the same media that brought us years of blue dress stains. (The three other examples are here.)

Update (10/13/05) : I have just read that Rhode Island journalism legend Jack White has died. You can read about him here. White won a Pulitzer prize for writing about President Nixon's tax fraud. When asked about White's story, Nixon offered famously "People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook." Well, we all know how that one ended. White also broke the news of Buddy Cianci's indictment, an announcement Cianci himself learned about from White's report. White also won an Emmy for his coverage of Joe Mollicone and the credit union scandals- something I vividly remember watching when I was younger. All in all he was a true journalist who had a fantastic career. He will surely be missed.