One of the Few Serious Media Outlets Left

The media has become a laughinstock - few deny that. But that doesn't mean there aren't a few remaining outlets that are trying to preserve serious, hard-hitting journalism. My personal favorite among the mainstream media is Knight Ridder. Their reporters - certainly not the most high profile and definitely not the biggest names - consistently pound out the most substantive reporting around.

Last year, you might remember, Knight Ridder was honored for being one of the few news outlets to aggressively cover how the Bush administration used intelligence in the lead up to the Iraq War. While other major news organizations cowered in front of the White House, Knight Ridder plugged away.

They are also one of the few news organizations to devote serious resources to covering America's veterans. And their new story today shows that they are serious about covering how America's retirement/pension system is being destroyed - a topic often considered not sexy enough for glamour-driven Beltway reporters to pay any attention to.

To be sure - Knight Ridder isn't perfect. But if every major corporate/mainstream media outlet was even a little more like them, American journalism would be in a lot better shape than it is today.