Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

A couple of articles have been languishing in my Windows Live Writer for several weeks, unposted. Newspapers are in real trouble, and although there's a lot I'd like to say about it, for the moment, I don't know what would be useful.

As famous national dailies go under one after another, it's clear that better minds than mine have struggled with the issues and still, thousands of journalists and staff have been left without work.

Today was the annual Media Justice Conference in Honolulu. The program was, I felt, very worthwhile, and I now have some new thoughts to ponder, especially after listening to the keynote address by Robert Scheer.

Here is my interpretation of two points out of many that Scheer made in the course of his talk. Coming to you from out of context:

• The task is not to save newspapers, but to save professional journalism. The journalists will find a way in whatever comes next to do their work and make a living, even if it does not pay as much as they had received in the past.
• Related to the economic meltdown: many in the audience are too young to remember the Vietnam war, but it was about fighting our mortal enemy, Communist China. Now, Communist China holds our debt and determines our future.

Again, those were not Robert Scheer's words, he said something like that, though. And much more.It will be on Olelo soon.

So it's back to the drawing board for me. I'm wondering if it is ok to let newspapers go.

They misled us and failed to do their jobs during the buildup to the Iraq war. They side with the big banks and with the failed bankers that Obama has inexplicably selected for leadership positions in his administration.

Only five companies now own most of the country's media. Newspapers are biased, always have been, especially towards their big advertisers. This also means bias toward big business over labor, not questioning the stagnation of worker's pay even as CEOs make 400 times a worker's compensation, effectively stealing from them the fruits of their steady increase in productivity over the last 30 years.

Can it really be ok to kiss newspapers goodbye and await their replacement?

Permalink posted by Larry @ 3/14/2009 09:08:00 PM