The Death of News(papers).

Guest Article by Mark Wells

Today, the AFP wire service is reporting an article of news that confirms to me news reporting has officially died. It also shows their bias in the campaign for Obama is directing their downward death spiral. But before I get to that story, I believe everyone has considered the situation of news today. Many reports have shown that old stalwarts like the New York Times are cutting back and having to deal with the new medium of the Internet(insert - World’s Smallest Violin). The Christian Science Monitor, unfortunately, just reported that it will be web-only and that they will be cutting their staff significantly. Although these events surely point to the sign of print news’ impending death, it is not market forces on the industry that worry me.

It is the tabloid nature of news, which has found its way into the foundations of our news reporting that shows the most cancerous effect on the business of journalism. Newspapers and news shows find it difficult to compete in the modern world of the information age and have resorted to salacious vitriol to sell papers. Worse of all was this over arching need to impose the meaningless gibberish of Hollywood on the populous.

Which brings us to our case in point. Today a respected international news service reports that, “Grace Jones says she can’t stand Palin” (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081029153419.z2jjsrbd&show_article=1). “What! Your kidding! Grace Jones doesn’t like Sarah Palin? Oh my God. The world must be coming to an end.” Excuse me but, WHO THE HELL CARES! And, more importantly, what supposedly respectable editor sat in a room and said “Oh yeah, wow, run with that!” This is from an international news wire service that has been in existence since 1835. This is not TMZ. More to the point, Grace Jones!? I repeat, Grace Jones!? Has anyone actually seen her in anything since appearing in the 1985 James Bond movie ‘A View to a Kill’. She is an obnoxious, self described ‘Queen B’ that has repeated acted as a spoiled brat in public and televised situations.

Now I understand, its politics. Everyone has an opinion, and luckily we live in a country where we can freely express our opinion on our own soapbox. But we do not have to listen to the opinions of everyone and we surely don’t need a press corp deciding who’s opinion is appropriate for us to consider valid, especially when it is Grace Jones. Journalists have reported their fair share of vaulted opinions on Sarah Palin from Lindsay Lohan (drunk, drugged out, exhibitionist), Madonna (I can’t make a list that long in this space), and Pamela Anderson (with a breast size bigger than her IQ), all of who’s opinion the press found news worthy.

I for one am glad to see the news sources of the past get their comeuppance. The news-worthy opinion of Grace Jones was truly a sign of their final demise. But I believe it could get worse. The day the news decides we need to know the opinion of Ms. South Carolina ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww), its time to have a good old book (newspaper) burning on the front steps of the New York Times.

In Response To: MN-03: More Republican Ugliness