As a working member of the fourth estate, I hereby declare that this industry from which I so humbly earn my living is no different than most---flawed, at times sloppy, often insensitive and occasionally downright stupid…although you won’t hear too many in the media admit to any of these perfectly understand human frailties. The ones informing us as to the news don’t come under enough inspection of circumspection as I see it. We do insist, in the most demanding ways, that airline pilots, police officers and surgeons get it right-- every time. Who can argue with that when our lives hang in the balance?

When it comes to what we watch, listen to and read, the sense of pride that old school professionals took in their work seems dim today and is fading fast. Much in media has become a mélange of questionable facts; hearsay, rumor, accusation and God help us “infotainment” is more the norm. 

The idea that it takes two, three, or even four blow-dried anchors to deliver twenty minutes of whatever it is they call news, with some sitting behind a desk, some on swivel chairs, some on risers, and some standing on a glass staircase is ludicrous. Remember when it was just old Walter for thirty minutes of “That’s the way it is,” news and information? Ah, the good old news-filled days.

Curmudgeons complain, rightfully so, about diminished source-checking, grammatical slovenliness, lack of depth. I’m not qualified enough to earn the title of media critic and earn a living at it. I just know what I know. As we spread ourselves thinner, quality suffers. It applies to food, shoes, education, pop music, and meaningful novels. Here are three recent examples that point to the pressing need to fix our press.

The first involves last weekend’s Sunday paper, specifically the Parade Magazine insert that appears on breakfast tables all over America. The issue in question featured a full-blown cover story on the life and political career of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan. The piece looked at her return from exile and attempt to bring about democratic reform amid threats from terrorists wishing her dead. It was a fascinating portrait of a powerful, dynamic leader with only one slight problem. Mrs. Bhutto had been assassinated nearly two weeks prior. Parade went ahead and published a story that was not only incomplete, but one that was ridiculously offensive to the Bhutto family, friends and followers, not to mention anyone with a brain who understands the meaning of bad timing. It was downright creepy and totally unnecessary to read about what this brave leader was going to be doing going forward? Not much in her current state I surmise. In this age of instantaneous communication and transmission, the publishers had more than enough time to switch cover stories to the kind of stuff they normally print, a noxious piece about Katie Holmes and goofy Tom or a survey on what people earn or how badly America is overeating. Jefferson conceived and wrote the Declaration of Independence in less time than the loafers at Parade had to print a simple disclaimer. Just another nail in the newspaper coffin. I can somehow understand not having a final score first thing in the morning from a west coast ballgame that ended after the paper was printed; for them not to respect readers enough to scrap an issue with old news? No excuse.  

The second example comes in the form of an internal memo sent out by the bosses of the Associated Press to their staffers. It was a sweeping memorandum that in effect instructed them to make Britney Spears priority story numero uno. Should she belch, bleed, upchuck, flash, crash or overdose, drop everything and get the story out there. It’s what America wants to see and hear 24-7. The memo, written by Los Angeles AP Assistant Bureau Chief Frank Baker was leaked to the rest of the press (nothing surprising) and it read, “Now and for the foreseeable future virtually everything involving Britney is a big deal.” That must make the Spears publicity machine happy. It makes me sad. And mad.

No excuse for determining that what we crave most in this country is more juicy jazz about a young woman with little talent in desperate need of an intervention.

Finally, there’s what occurred at the recent New Hampshire primary. All of the self-proclaimed political hotshots, the “gurus,” screwed up. The polls were off in the Obama vs. Clinton race by up to 15 points and every talking head with an earpiece bought into misinformation and conjecture to get it wrong. From Chris Matthews to the Fox Roundtable to the Grey Lady NY Times analysts it was “here’s what will happen and why” ---except it didn’t. But will anyone in a boardroom take action against the incompetents? Will a fresh squad of political pundits take to the field to right things before Super Tuesday? Nope. Like their friends in TV meteorology, Dick Morris and his cronies will all be back in their cushy studio seats telling us what we need to know ---after a much needed series of private, high brow cocktail parties where one can sip Pinot, eat brie and indulge in self-aggrandizement. From the Peter Jackson-inspired special effects graphics to the smarmy, shoddy coverage and analysis that led the political “pros” to call the race over before it ever began, the beat goes on. And it stinks. Except for one precious thing. 

Thankfully, many of us don’t pay nearly as much attention to the blowhards on TV or the editorial pages as they all think we do. John McCain and Hillary winning in New Hampshire proved it, as do declining newspaper sales and meager ratings the 24 hour cable news channels get compared to those glued to “American Idol,” and “The Family Guy.”

So what’s my remedy for an ailing American media too concerned with appealing to the lowest common denominator? Well, you cannot fix what’s already so broken, but you can balance your viewing and listening habits by turning to the fair, competent titans of journalistic excellence. Experts, who understand the issues, do indefatigable research, constantly take the pulse of American society and tell it like it is. They include such luminaries as George Carlin, Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Mort Sahl, et al. Yes, my fellow Americans. I urge you to turn to the one channel for news that is timely, accurate, hard hitting, pointed and often very entertaining. Comedy Central. If you don’t start laughing at where we find ourselves these days, you will cry. That’s not a guess, supposition or talking head’s opinion. That is a fact.