Media Sophisticate

By Pam Lutrell “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson echoed the need for journalism to be a major component of a thriving republic.“The diffusion of information and the arraignment of all abuses at the bar of public reason, I deem (one of) the essential principles of our government, and consequently (one of) those which ought to shape its administration.” If newspaper publishers would like to save their product, all they have to do is listen to the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson. He made the statements above in the 1800’s and echoed the need for an informed public, therefore, confirming the need for journalism to be a major component of a thriving republic.

Why are newspapers wasting away? They have ceased to inform the public on matters of importance…they have ceased to be the reporters they were meant to be… they have become nothing more than glorified entertainment rags and ceased to understand the public they represent. What they do best these days is WHINE. They whine about losing circulation and advertising dollars. Both would return, if they would merely REPORT TRUTH, as they were meant to do. All of those sitting in budget meetings today should learn a lesson from the trenches.

Last month, we saw real journalism return to the scene. Sadly not in major dailies or through trained journalism professionals, but through a radio talk show host and two young adults in their twenties. They possess something sadly lacking in most newsrooms today….Passion. The three are among a growing group of individuals with Jeffersonian like passion for information, truth and freedom.

Glenn Beck weeps over love of country and this is foundational in his desire to see truth return to journalism. He began reporting on those who influence President Obama and work in the current administration. He disclosed damaging quotes made by Van Jones, the green jobs czar in the administration. A story of Jones life unfolded in front of viewers predominantly off YouTube where Jones became trapped by his own words. He went from a confessed communist to one who had signed a petition accusing the Bush Administration of flying the planes into the World Trade Center, known as the 9/11 Truthers.

Since the last part broke days before the eighth anniversary of September 11, Jones was forced to resign after midnight on a Saturday. The New York Times even admitted that they neglected to report a significant story.

Two Christian young adults followed the Van Jones story with the most incredible reporting of our time as they exposed Acorn office from sea to shining sea mired in deep corruption. It is an exhilarating story and one worth your time (www.biggovernment.com); yet, chillingly ignored by most media. Acorn was receiving millions of our tax dollars and set to take the next census, until Hannah and James went to work. The results of their passion have been spellbinding and what the fourth estate was meant to do. Corruption exposed and hindered. If you don’t know what I am talking about, it is because the story lacked the big major headlines which attracted many of us during Watergate. You need to be informed, so hit your Google key today.

Speaking of Watergate, it is one of the key reporters of this story who best sums up our culture today, by referring to us as a “culture of idiots.” Carl Bernstein said: “We are in the process of creating, in sum, what deserves to be called the idiot culture,” Bernstein wrote on the 20th anniversary of the Watergate break in. “Not an idiot subculture, which every society has bubbling beneath the surface and which can provide harmless fun; but the culture itself.

For the first time in our history the weird and stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norm, even our cultural ideal…yes, we have always had a sensational, popular, yellow tabloid press; and we have always had gossip columns, even powerful ones like Hedda Hopper’s and Walter Winchell’s. But never before have we had anything like today’s situation in which supposedly serious people – I mean the so-called intellectual and social elites of this country – live and die by (and actually believe!) these columns and these shows and millions more rely upon them for their primary source of information.” Newspaper Publishers, the way to save journalism and our republic is with journalism. Return to reporting truth and you will save what you do.