The Messenger

I just read Digby on Truth's Consequences. It contains a speech that Ashleigh Banfield gave at Kansas State University. In the aftermath of that speech, she was no longer a foreign correspondent, or any sort of news reporter.

Breaking network omerta results in becoming a professional nonentity.

So. Is it the producers? The advertisers?

Who is degrading the "news"?

We know who beat the war drums as messengers. Who made the policies? Who outlined the lockstep?

One commenter wondered of Olberman could or would report on this. I suspect not. It's one thing to criticize the administration, even extremely. It is quite another thing to point out that the news media are corrupt. Even for Keith Olberman, that would be biting the hand that feeds him.

[via Eschaton]

His New Thing

Over at the Whatever, John Scalzi is taking his first-ever vacation from the news.

He is on a book tour. A few days ago he noticed that on his first tour day, he had no time at all to listen to news or read any. He polled his blog readers: should he continue to ignore news while on his book tour?

The answers (including mine) were an overwhelming "yes". Most of his readers go to conventions that last ten days to two weeks including travel time, and most of them have had a news-free experience during one or more of those vacations.

It's interesting to go without news, and to experience the process of hooking back in after the vacation is over.

Have You Noticed

that CNN is trying to ignore anti-war protests out of existence?

CNN is touting stranded airline passengers and recalled dog and cat food. Their coverage has become so blatantly twisted that I deleted them from my toolbar and replaced them with competitors. It is pretty obvious that they are no longer a news organization.