Freedom First (Part 1): It's corny, but in the new world of news, it's true...

Quillnews loved working as a news hound.  As a young newspaperman, early on, I even considered reporting on what’s going on a type of calling – like being a teacher or a cop.  I still do, though the rough and tumble of modern communications markets and technology has caused me to see the geology of journalism has lots of eras and strata, some more valuable than others.  Some kinds of journalism are a diamond pipe; others tar sands.  Still I believe in democracy; believe Providence calls on Americans to exercise and defend the freedoms contained in the US Constitution and its First Amendment, and count the free American press among the guarantors of liberty.  I know; it’s corny. But it’s true. 

This is why the revolution overtaking the major networks and newspapers is, in some ways, hard to watch.  History tells us that all blind concentrations of human power, and more importantly their earthly enablers, will crumble.  Quillnews’ early instructors made sure I absorbed the poetic wisdom in Shelley’s Ozimandius.  Even knowing that the mighty self-absorbed do fall, actually witnessing this demise is no fun. Many caught up in the crash of institutions are the well-intentioned, the earnest and seeing their personal distress at the changes underway in their beloved profession is painful.  But some of the high and mighty deserve the fall; it can’t come quick enough for Quillnews.  Like the pedophile priest and his enabling bishop, the elitist reporter and arrogant news executive in the monopoly media are poison to the faith.  Be gone and good riddance.

The revolution in the news room caused me to be a casualty early enough to permit me to switch professional gears.  The newspaper strikes in New York City in ’78 persuaded me to find employment in another venue.  I was a reporter burn-out, and I found the limits of daily journalism too often choked truth in its crib.  I walked across the street to work in an even more basic industry I had come to see as, well, beautiful in its complexity and reach. I kept up my personal writing, but struggled to find the proper medium.  Advancing technology would provide the rescue.  (RavensYard, RY2, Quillnews)

The response of the modern American media in the aftermath of Sept 11 got me back into the daily mix.  When the initial shock of the attack wore off, and as the country began its regular election functions, the journalistic practices that emerged in ’02 among the major nets and major newspapers signaled trouble. The front offices of corporate MSM had imposed commercial practices that had morphed entertainment, commerce and news functions into a giant mass media “product.” Moreover, the elitist and willful contempt shown by too many reporters and editors to their customers combined to prove that the MSM was unable or unwilling to act with common sense or decency, or to differentiate among facts, truth, policy analysis, political advocacy and manufactured propaganda.  (Command Post)

In fact, at a time when the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment were under a murderous assault, many in the contemporary media (news, TV, movies, et al) were acting as our enemies’ enablers and calling it righteous rather than the sedition it is.  (WS, LGF, LGF2, LGF3, WT) In the age of jihadists' war on freedom, the MSM’s institutions of modern American journalism and communication had become a hazard to the Republic.  (Quillnews, QN2, QN3, QN4, QN5, QN6, QN7, QN8)       

The crisis of confidence in the main stream media reached a critical mass with Bush 43’s convincing victory in Nov ’04, followed by an election in Iraq in Jan ’05 that even the most jaded anti-American partisan had to admit was a stunning act of bravery, faith and commitment by a liberated people who were choosing freedom over tyranny. The obvious bias of MSM had been revealed; the sober nay-sayers and their MSM echo chamber were wrong. The obvious good intentions of the US had been redeemed. Again, I know: it’s corny, but true.  (Refresher Primer: Victor Davis Hanson, VDH2, VDH3, VDH4, VDH5, VDH6, VDH7, VDH8 )

Now in the aftermath of this political earthquake, comes journalism's reckoning.  The parsing of what happened, what will happen, why and what free people should do about it is underway. (WQ, Carnegie, Murdoch, Fineman, Jarvis, J2, J3) Very smart and impressive people are involved in parsing these issues daily.  (Pew, Rosen, R2, R3, Gillmor, Porter, Jarvis) Keeper: Porter Wrap-up.

The newspaper business is in crisis. The broadcast networks are in retreat.  The public faith in American jouralism is the lowest in history.  Cable news, radio, blogs, internet networks of all kinds are emerging to find new roles and responsibilities. (BBC, BBC2, Business Week, RWN) The free markets will no doubt enable new business models to emerge to harness the blogs' incredible creative energy and permit a place for the insightful observations from new voices in the new public square.  New professions will be created. New work standards and pay methods must be adopted. (USC) There are all kinds of initiatives – community journalism, citizen journalism, grass roots journalism, stand alone journalism, public journalism, civic journalism, ultra local journalism.  (Check Poynter bibliography)

Quillnews' view: the first reality about our emerging press is that free people will find and select the information they need to ensure their continued freedom.  The people know what is show business in Media-ville. Beware to those in the blogosphere who confuse news with show business (QN). The people also know when they are being told something is so, when they know it isn't.  Free people demand news they can trust and will reward those who provide it; ignore those who don’t.  The free markets of free people will work it out.

Comments

[Everyman]

Thanks for the reassurance. I know you are right; it just helps, in the welter of all of the bad "news", to be reminded.

Everyman