You can blame it on instant gratification or whatever but the simple fact of the matter is the public watches the news channel that presents the most information in the shortest period of time. This creates the environment we have today; it's deemed better to report something, even if its unsubstantiated, then to report nothing. If you think about it, up until the advent of the blogosphere, there was little consequence to taking this approach. The blogosphere's real strength, and I believe most important role, then is to provide some institutional memory so there is some consequence to this irresponsible journalism.

Ace - I've told you before that the following should be the blogger vs MSM leitmotif.

"Release Yo' Delf"
Method Man
Sung to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"

When I first stepped on the scene, niggaz was petrified
Jet back to the lab like they were being chased by homicide
My rap flow does you like Tical, and it will never steer you wrong
And all you bitch-ass niggaz in the industry
your careers won't be lasting long

So what's their excuse for booting it so very badly?

Because it would make bushitler look bad, they so desperately wanted it to be true. Therefore, to them it became true. Same with Dan and the phony docs.

leitmotif?

I'm partial to gestalt myself. I think it's a local affinity though.

So who can ever trust these liberal journalists? i mean they are the biggist bunch or liars right up there with bill clinton and his cabnet these are the nasty reptiles who spend it 24/7 lying to the american public

The MSM is better at covering up news than generating it.

A LOCAL STORY THEY NEVER REPORTED

Did they get 90% of this stuff right during Katrina? I think more like 40%, and most of that stuff was simply reporting what officials at NOLA and the like told them.

They were in a position to report real news - they had crews there in the Superdome, and yet they peddled stories of hundreds dead while their crews couldn't actually find any of the bodies? Their irresponsibility was compounded by the awful performance of the local officials who did little to quell the rumor mongering. In fact, all they did was expand on it by running off at the mouth on Oprah. And their comments were picked up elsewhere.

I'm not sure if you consider Boing Boing to be a blog or MSM, Ace, but they were running some stuff that was pretty close to tinfoil hat territory from within the Astrodome in the days after Katrina.

Not saying that to defend the MSM, by any means -- their coverage was unconscionable by any standard. But there were a few places in the 'Sphere running conspiracy stuff, too.

My favorite college-word is weltschmerz.

Hmm, these are all German.

Not really lovin' anything I see in the MSM lately - even Fox News was over the top and too emotional during the hurricane reporting. I guess I am not at one with the zeitgeist these days.

lietmotif -- German literally means lead theme

gestalt -- German literally means the form or shape of something

weltschmerz -- German literally means "world pain"

zeitgeist -- German literally means the spirit of the times

Damn Krauts! We won the war. Stay the f*ck out of our language!

[I know, English is mostly a Germanic language, but you get my point.]

Hugh Hewitt asks the question:

If the MSM with all its resources couldn't get a reporter inside the Superdome or the Convention Center to do some "accurate reporting" -- in the United States -- how can we trust them to report accurately in hostile foreign war zones like Iraq?

Gotta love the Release Yo Delf reference.

Partially, it's tied into that Jonathon Klein model of 'storytellin," which is a reaction to what people want. I think people flip through the dials so much now, they stop at angry faces, emotional expressions.

Emotional stories told by emotional people stops people from flipping the remote.

And when "Emotion' (aka 'connecting w/ the viewer') approaches paramount status, where are the old restraints? Why they're sitting on the mantle of 'let go' old school newsie, fired by exec's to make room for new journalism's Klein et.al (who extol their anchor/missionaries)

You create a culture where putting the emotion on the screen is triumphant, and the people who were inclined to say "hey wait a second on that story..." are gonna keep their mouths shut, if they even still have jobs.

Really, emotionalsim ain't any new insight. Just it bleeds, it leads, writ large. It's just the old chase for profits - something I heartily endorse, but something people who talk about being in a profession (journalists) were supposed to keep in proper place. But still, I blame execs as much as journalists here.

I think people flip through the dials so much now, they stop at angry faces, emotional expressions.

I think you're basically saying that "The Torture Channel" would be an overnight sensation.

10:30 - Bastinado basics
11:00 - Meathooks for beginners
11:30 - Fine art of the ice pick
12:00 - Detaching digits cleanly
12:30 - Battery acid basics
01:00 - Duct tape- miracle tool!
01:30 - Lighting design for snuff films
02:00 - Idi Amin - the lost footage

...well you get the idea.

...Unfortunately, I think I just described Al-Jazeera

more German

horse = der fodderburninklippenklopper

windsheild wipers = die drizzleflippen

constipated = fahrfrumpoopen

I hate to pick nits, but your German appears to be a little rusty. You forgot an umlaut:

fahrfrümpoopen

Dave in Texas:

If you doubt my command of the German language, talk to one of your friends in New Braunfels the next time you go tubing on the Guadelupe River.

Dave in Texas:

And, if you think I don't actually know the Texas Hill Country, think again. There's nothing better than driving your bike through the Willow City Cutoff, a beautiful stretch of road. If you're coming from the south, you end up at the barbecue joint in Willow City.

You enter, and gaze with reverence at the signature of Eric Clapton on the wall. Then you chow down on brisket, and, if you're lucky, fresh peach pie in season.

I bet you can't name a Hill Country town I have not been to.

Gruene?

Been there. Done the dance hall.

Camp Wood?

Been there. From San Antonio, that's an awesome drive along the upper ridge of the hill country. Best done in the spring, when the wildflowers are spectacular if there's been a little rain.

Hey Michael,

I hear Mrs. Michael is at Camp Wood right now.

With the Pool Boy.

Forgot to mention Blanco. Blanco County, Texas has produced more champion rodeo cowboys than any other place on earth. Which is fairly impressive, cuz there's almost noone there.

My source for this is the paper tablemat at a diner in Blanco where the bikers tend to gather for breakfast on weekends.

Lipstick:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

Of huge damn feet flopping on the ground.

Mike once was lost

But now he's found

His wife's boinking the Pool Boy cause he himself is too dang old and wears a cape and it freaks her out, etc. etc.

:)

OK, this thread is getting weird, so perhaps I should offer an explanation.

See, Lipstick's real first name is Grace.

So, that's why I did the take on the old Amazing Grace hymn.

Now, how do I know Lipstick's real first name?

Well, I'm a gentleman. After I bang a girl, I always ask for her name. Lipstick, gasping, told me her name was Grace.

The reason I ask this question is because I'm a nice guy who will always follow up with the obligatory Next-Day-Phone-Call where you say what a great time you had and blah blah blah. But, that phone call usually goes much better if you actually know the chick's name. Her real name, not her internet handle.

So, that's why I know Lipstick = Grace, and thus the odd play on the Amazing Grace hymn.

The thing is, when dorky guys ask for my name, I always give them a fake one.

Suckers fall for it every time...

Lipstick:

So, you are suggesting that when Tiffany at the strip club told me that her real name was Iris maybe she was lying (after 7 lap dances at $20 each)?

Nah, I just can't believe that.

I mean, Iris really liked me.

We should all just believe the planted stories from the administration. Bush would never lie. Frist would never dump his stocks for millions thanks to inside information. Tom Delay is just a real nice guy and would never turn a blue state red by trickery. Our great country would never turn anyone away from a public meeting for wearing a dissenting message on their clothing or vehicles.

Republicans are just so nice to their gay friends. They give them free press passes and leak stories to them. I really think it would help if the gay prostitute Jeff Gannon would continue to be the unofficial spokesperson of the Republicans. Of course when the culture of corruption is successfull and no longer needs him, he will have to be "removed" to a nice place out of view of the public, like Gitmo.

Where are the true Republicans? Maybe I was just wrong in believing that the Nixon criminal cabinet and Reagan's Iran Contra guns for drugs to sell in the US were just anomolies. I really believed George HW Bush when he said that he was, "Out of the loop."

I used to be a proud Republican. Now I don't see any Republicans left in my party. I only see right-wing churchian fundamentalists (they don't live like Christ so they really are not Christians - followers of Christ) that have joined forces with the corporations and wannabe rich willing to do what ever it takes to get their house in the 'burbs. The self-righteous bastards have taken over My party on the local level. I am sure that Delay's money laundering is partly resposible. Local people that are good managers and business persons are opposed in local elections by less-competent candidates that were supported by money from the national party machine.

I am sick and tired of watching politicians and corporations line their pockets at the public expense. The only way to stop this crap is to take the money from the equation. Conscription of industry during disasters, war and reconstruction would be a very good place to start. Take the monetary benefit gained from war by the rich and there will be very little war. I have come full circle since my steadfast belief in Col North and crew. After learning of the CIA cocaine trafficing ring, I now realize that there is no war but class war.