PBS asks about media trustworthiness... I answer

Here is the link

Here's the diatribe:

I think the ethics within and around the media are becoming cloudier by the day. I truly think the ethical standards that journalists used to be held to are not being used anymore.

Take Seymour Hersch. Is he a liberal bomb thrower? Or is he a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist?

The answer to these questions depends on which cable news network you happen to be watching.

One of the biggest problems is that news has been softened so that it is palatable for the morning shows all have some easygoing news, never anything harsh.

This dilution of news has made the lines of trustworthy news sources harder to draw.

Its a big wishy washy news world out there nowadays and whenever someone like Chris Matthews is accused by Media Matters of being biased one way or another he tries to make up for it on his next show by making a comment to "balance" himself out.

As to who to complain to. You tell me. I participated in the campaign against Sinclair media when they wanted to show the anti-Kerry movie as a news program.

I wrote to the FCC, (all of the commissioners) my congressional representatives (all of them), and signed various online petitions.

Where did that get us? Nowhere really, they still aired some of the show and didn't really have a balanced program in the end.

Moreover, they still called it news, even though it was based on lies.

The fact that the swift boat veterans were liars yet got massive quantities of airtime alone should answer your questions above.

Who should we count on to police the airwaves when in fact the police (FCC) have let the airwaves become massive conglomerates? Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerates reach 75% of the population.

It is easy; media reform should be just like campaign finance reform.

Take the money out of it. However, some say that PBS and NPR have a liberal slant.

SO PBS, you tell me who to trust. So far, I only trust Jim Lehrer every evening, but my trust in him is always one that walks on eggshells.