They Can Dish It Out, But Can't Take It

There's an old adage that says people tend to react most violently when they are told the painful truth about something they inherently know, but don't want to admit. So I was not surprised at the number of angry, outraged, oh-how-could-you-do-this emails I received from reporters after my post on the decline of American journalism.

One wrote, "I have written, literally, thousands of articles – interviewing, researching, checking my facts each time – putting a little bit of my soul into every one. And what’s most remarkable is that I am not remarkable. Most of my friends and colleagues have done all these kinds of things, too. Many have done much more than me...Ninety-five percent of the journalists I know, including myself, have not made big money, nor asked for power or fame."

I very much sympathize with this reporter - it really is tragic when you are a good, decent, thorough and honest at your trade, and yet the most high-profile people in that trade give it a bad name (it's why I actually said that yes, there are some good journalists working today). The good reporters, in fact, should therefore be even more outraged than me that so many of their colleagues embarrass their trade. And let's be honest - the media often seizes on this exact kind of thing to make its own points. As just one example, 99% of trial lawyers may be honest, hard working advocates for the public good - but that doesn't stop the media from portraying their trade as some sort of terrible evil.

Another was upset that I called most TV pundits "blow-dried robots on television." Again, its true - there are some very good television reporters out there (Bill Moyers, Keith Olbermann, and Ted Koppel come to mind)...but come on - how can anyone really argue that most television news is dominated by a bunch of robotic drones who are more interested in hearing the sound of their voice than actually doing real, serious reporting?

Yet another reporter asked, "If we're all so lousy, why do you continue sending us your stuff?" This was the saddest question of them all - it shows that reporters today don't really even understand how today's corporate media has a monopoly on mass information flow these days. The reason bloggers send out information to reporters is because there are, unfortunately, fewer and fewer media companies controlling more and more of what the public reads, watches and hears. If you don't get into the corporate media today, you are essentially not in the debate. And if regular citizens don't try to push reporters to be more serious, scores of serious issues such as economic inequality will continue to be drowned out by stories of Michael Jackson and the First Lady cracking horse masturbation jokes.

Stepping back from all these responses, I find it hilarious that journalism, a field that can be so vicious about attacking its subjects, can't take even the most fleeting criticism without being offended. When the reporters get reported on, apparently they don't like it. But they should get used to it - people are starting to become keenly aware that the media has increasingly become another problem America faces - instead of part of the solution.