We Need to Save Local Journalism

Local journalism is important. 

The John Druckenmillers, Diane Wagners, David Crowders, John Baileys are essential to our republic. Sheila and I with our partners Steve & Laurie Craw had a go a it in the seventies. I think we did some good things but we couldn't make a living at it. 

Jefferson is reputed to have said he'd rather have a free press and no government than a government and no free press. 

Sheila and I have subscriptions to four papers, the Rome News, Atlanta Journal/Constitution, the New York Times and the Washington Post. The last two are very important national papers and probably safe. The former two, despite some very good writers and reporters, are frankly only a shadow of their former selves. There just is not the advertising base to support robust journalism. Local radio does minimal weather and news nowadays. I suspect the vast majority of their airtime is prerecorded "canned"stuff. Thank God for GPB and NPR.  

I do not know how to restore principled local journalism, but we are in trouble without it. When one small local paper on Long Island broke a major story last September, few noticed. 

Gleaning Facebook: What About the Fox Folks?

From my friend Denis Smith

"NBC News President Deborah Turness announced last night that anchor Brian Williams has been suspended without pay for six months. In her statement, Turness said that “As Managing Editor and Anchor of Nightly News, Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times.”

In the meantime, there is silence from the management of Fox [I refuse to misuse the word "news" here - Terrell] about complaints from media monitors regarding the serial misrepresentations and exaggerations of anchors Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity...." - Denis Smith 

Gleaning Facebook: Walter Cronkite

And that's the way it is, July 17, 2009
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Bob Jackson

R.I.P. Walter !!

Chris Goodwin

Was media more factual back then, or has it always been slighted and I was just too young to realize it? Not looking for a political debate here, just wondering if it was once about informing people about interesting truths; not changing those truths or hiding parts of them to sway someone (I speak of both liberal and conservative media when I say that.)

Tony Pope

Just heard...the best report ever. Remember watching (and listening) to his distinctive voice as a child in the 70s.

Terrell Shaw

My opinion:

I think the news was less biased in Uncle Walter's day. Cronkite, we now know, was fairly liberal in his political beliefs, but he was highly principled and aspired to report the truth. He bragged that he was equally condemned by the right and the left. He was careful to separate news from commentary.

To me the major problems with "news" today are:

• sensationalism required by the 24 hour news cycle - you end up with circusses like the ridiculous over-coverage of the death of Michael Jackson. If anything "local" news stations like 2, 5, & 11 in Atlanta are even more sensational than national news networks.

• mixing/confusion of news and commentary -- CNN and FOX are the worst offenders. Lou Dobbs and Bill O'Reilly, for example, officially call themselves commentators but they mix news in such a way that it confuses.

Terrell Shaw

Until the early sixties national news shows lasted 15 minutes each evening -- they didn't have time for more than the facts! Then they were 30 minutes for many years.

Tony Pope

I remember making sure to watch Cronkite's last broadcast...what about 1981 and then Dan Rather taking over. Dan just never could match Cronkite in demeanor and vocal ability. Honor and integrity just seemed to encompass him.

Chris Goodwin

It just seems the news is more about propaganda than facts on both sides. I too will never forget his voice from my childhood days!