What Ever Happened to Reporting News?

Thanks again to my good friend Dolley for letting me rant and rave on her site.

My time to blog has been curtailed greatly due to what can only be described as a brutal travel schedule over the last many months. I write this to explain how tweaked I have to be to carve out time to write as it generally eats into my family time.

So what has me fuming today? It is an add for NBC nightly news that runs here in the Atlanta market. It is a combined local / national add so some version may run in your local market. In the ad NBC Nightly news anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams is talking about how confusing the world is and how it is his and the local news anchor's responsibility to "EXPLAIN" the news to the viewer. EXCUSE ME? We do not need Brian Williams, a college dropout and former Jimmy Carter Administration Intern, to explain a darn thing to us thank you very much.

Whatever happened to a news anchor responsibility to simply report the unbiased news? Now I think we can all safely say that bias has strongly entered to the "reporting" of the news in recent times. However, this is the first time I have ever seen one of these talking heads actually state that they feel they must "explain" the news. I'm all for freedom of the press as this keeps Government honest. But if, and only if, the press is unbiased in their reporting of fact without the silly slant of "explaining" the news from a source that states they are not biased in their reporting. They are leading the Lemmings known as the American Public right over the cliff with their bias. Maybe all the national news outlets should explain why the audience for their nightly foolishness has been hemorrhaging viewers for years with no end in sight?

Seriously, what it next? "The NBC Nightly News with Keith Olbermann?" Oh yeah, he sits in the anchor desk for the weekend addition on occasion... Maybe they should have Rush Limbaugh sit in from time to time to even things out.

Why Does Left Wing Talk Radio Fail?

With the demise of Air America this week, I have been contemplating talk radio.  Why is Left leaning talk radio a dismal failure, when Right leaning talk radio is a phenomenal success?  I am always amazed at the lefties that will call into conservative talk radio shows and try to argue with the hosts.  Invariably, they will say they listen to the show all the time and then they will add some disclaimer such as, the show lets them know what they should be against or some other such banal excuse.  The fact remains that they ARE listening, yet very few listen to the Left when they go on the same airwaves.  Why?  I mean there is certainly no shortage of Left leaning broadcasts, movies, and shows - why does Left talk radio fail?

I think I know the answer.  The difference is that left leaning movies, TV shows, and "news" programs are subtle in their message.  They frame it with humor or language or drama, it is the underpinning, but the audience is never asked to validate or confirm the opinion.  It seeps into their conscience without careful analysis in the harmless guise of fun or information.  Direct participation in the process by the recipient is not required.

Talk radio on the other hand is a straight forward presentation of ideas and information that necessarily requires blunt and clear communication.  Successful talk radio of course requires callers and others to debate the subject matter.  When confronted head on with what the lefties believe in and want to do the American people recoil in disgust.  When the lies and the spin and the agenda are not cloaked in subterfuge, they are rejected by all but the most rabid of lefties.

I have XM radio in my car and know exactly what and who are on during my morning and evening commute.  Ironically, the station that hosts Glenn Beck in the AM is the same one that hosts left leaning Randi Rhodes at night.  Inevitably, I get in my car, proceed out of the parking lot with this harridan spouting lies full blast over my speakers.  I physically cringe at the sound.  I have actually forced myself to try and listen on a few occasions to see what the other side is saying and I honestly just can't stomach it.   

How can liberals confess to regularly listening to Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and I can not abide 5 minutes of Randi Rhodes?  Are they stronger than I am some how?  No, I don't believe that is the case.  I believe the liberals are able to listen, even though they disagree, because they are for the most part listening to the truth.

Everyone has that spot planted within them that will respond to the truth.  The truth is compelling and fills a missing part in your soul.  Lies on the other hand make one recoil, we know instinctively when someone is a liar.  Leftist talk radio is full of the bare bones lies they try to portray as truth.  Even those that agree with it find it unpalatable.