Karl Kraus (1874-1936), whose image is featured on this blog, said this about journalists: “A person without any ideas but with an ability to express them; a writer whose skill is improved by a deadline: the more time he has, the worse he writes.”
Of course, the Founders were absolutely correct in protecting freedom of speech and of the press, having been well acquainted with how these fundamental rights had been abridged by the monarchy that ruled over them. However, these days mainstream journalism has become a sick joke.
With very few exceptions, the conventional media have become cheerleaders for the establishment point of view—and that surely is one big reason why the consumption of newspapers and most TV news has been on a steady decline. Naturally, there is that particular audience that delights in being reinforced in their viewpoints 24/7; thus those individuals that will tune into MSNBC or Newsmax (for example) all day long.
You needn’t be reminded that the very same media that would criticize Donald Trump every moment has been strangely silent regarding Joe Biden. Which beings us to the notion of “investigative journalism.”
We are reminded ad infinitum how the press is out there protecting us from…those evil forces that would threaten our freedom or our livelihoods. And they do this by INVESTIGATIONS. The shining example seems to be Watergate, whereby a paranoid presidential candidate who had a massive lead in the polls still somehow felt the need to steal whatever from the Democratic National Headquarters.
The ensuing cover-up brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon, in what can only be viewed as a payback for Nixon’s own unmasking of Alger Hiss as a Soviet spy years earlier. That Woodward and Bernstein accomplished precious little for the rest of their careers speaks for itself.
In another case, a prominent Midwest newspaper (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) featured a series of several articles purporting to document the poisoning of America by evil corporate interests. However, the hapless authors relied almost exclusively on the findings of an early promoter of the notion of endocrine disruptors, whose work has been widely questioned.
At the time, I contacted the writers, asking them if they were aware that the professor that they were so fervently quoting was not exactly highly respected in the field. Did it ever occur to them, I asked, to actually research the topic beyond this one scientist?
Their only reply was for me to basically shut up, and to let them do their thing, free country and all that. Note that they were given a large forum by their newspaper to be little more than stenographers for a questionable “scientist,” so that they could promote their agenda to become latter day versions of Upton Sinclair.
Even as a world-class cynic I was taken aback as to how these “journalists” could so abuse the honor and privilege of being given a large platform, by putting forth scientific bilge and utter propaganda. Investigative journalism, indeed.
Not long after, I discovered Kraus’ quote, and they had proved it in spades. They had NO ideas, but did have the ability to express them, and even though their series had at least four articles, which had to take some time to prepare, their writing WAS terrible.
However, it definitely was read meat for the true believers.
I think the expression should be “follow the money to corruption”