I was just reading some comments by Glenn Reynolds ("America's most influential blogger") and it really struck me (as it does every few days) just how true it is that the "mainstream media" (e.g., NYT, ABC, CBS, NBC, et al.) are becoming irrelevant because they have become so untrustworthy. How can anyone take people like Peter Jennings or Dan Rather seriously anymore when their editorial control over the content of the evening news is so obviously motivated by their own personal politics?
I've never been a particularly big Rather fan, but I used to really like Jennings because I considered ABC to have the best foreign political coverage of any of the Big Three. And Jennings suited that sort of international orientation with an objective skepticism and what I took to be a dry wit. But, now, my ABC news intake has gone from ten to one. I can't stand Jennings' chickenshit commentary and reporters like Terry Moran in his stable. They very obviously despise the President and his war policies and it would no more occur to me to get my TV coverage from those turds than from BET.
Rather has much the same problem as Jennings: an overt agenda that verges on propaganda. That sniveling fuck John Roberts that he's got working for him makes Katie Couric look like Jack Webb reading an encyclopedia entry. I don't watch those wankers, either.
In fact, I get most of my hard information from the internet, aided immensely by the hard work of bloggers and little-recognized news sources. Now, for footage and the immediate thrill of breaking news, I obviously turn to whatever cable news outlet has got the best goods. And I enjoy my commentary and partisanship from wherever: blogs, McLaughlin, Russert, the stuff on MSNBC and FOX, etc. But, there is little point in looking to where the previous generation did for reliable, straightforward news. All the best stuff is now online, which will continue to be the case, thus ever distinguishing the difference between the literate and sub-literate body politic.