What is the value of our reporting media to our citizens these days?

There was a time when investigative reporting exposed the most egregious policies by elected politicians that worked against our citizens’ interests. Senator McCarthy back in the 50’s is the normal example. Seymour Hersh seemed to transcend all this. Now even anointed humans like Al Gore preaching his environmental cause get away with being little challenged to be point of pontification.

How is a citizen to be informed. Certainly not by the American media these days. Those American media who have wrapped themselves in their first amendment rights and college educations have approached the idea of “crying fire in a theater”, and failed due to American common sense and viewing habits. In their media defense, they are hired, and our reporting media is too often in a 24/7 cycle forced by the business plans that launched their scheme to be for profit. Now even a winter storm can be news, but let me be obvious, it is the winter after all.

The alternatives are also obvious. One is a business plan that focuses on the news, but most such plans cannot justify a 24/7 cycle, kinda of like the old days when the national and international news expanded to 30 minutes a day on NBC, for example.. Another normal option is to vote with our feet and pocket books, and let the channel fail of its own accord. If we don’t watch, the advertisers will not pay, even given the delay factors. One hopes this works especially best at the local levels that even pay for helicopter reporting. And of course how trustworthy and experienced are the so many young men and women hired to tell us what is the news. They to have a job that pays is the best explanation.

The best TV alternative is not just here, at least not just yet, but it is close, if voters and viewers can assert themselves. It is called picking what you want to watch, and pay for. And it only applies to the cable and satellite customers which are the vast majority these days. Bottom line, the FCC is in charge. Today we pay for bundling, which groups many disparate channels together to save them and us money. Tomorrow, technology will change things, and the FCC has to change, too. In other words, this geek will pay for the Discovery Channels, for example, and not the MTV and VH1 channels. And other citizens will vote with their pocket books in their own way, also. My friction with my 12 year old daughter over the Disney Channels stuff I hate is a simple example. Forget Zoey 101 and the pregnant 16 year old teenage star for now. And forget the skills that can influence our thoughts (hers and mine) and votes, if you even believe it. I just am willing to pay for my preferred channels as a bottom line.

All citizens want to know the “news” as an inherent instinct. Most are too busy to keep up with the latest, though we want to. Some even want to be informed voters to best influence their future and vote. That our present media is failing us as citizens is something we can change. After all, the media at best can report, but never lead. Only informed voters can lead.

For the common citizens, which most of us are, never confuse the method of reporting with the news. Whether the news comes through TV, radio, newspapers, or the Internet, being informed is the best way to vote. And the vote is what makes America happen.