John Nichols on Journalism: Is this the era of the nitwit?

[babylonsister]

Run time: 03:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1jmFdi_2SA   Posted on YouTube: March 15, 2010 By YouTube Member: videonation Views on YouTube: 445   Posted on DU: March 17, 2010 By DU Member: babylonsister Views on DU: 842

 
The Nation's John Nichols, on a panel about the future of media and his book "The Death and Life of American Journalism," asks if we're in the era of "the nitwit," or if Americans really want access to high-quality journalism.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. K&R

[AlbertCat]

2. Mmmmm.... I enjoyed that.

[Cha]

3. It's been building to a crescendo since

I've been paying attention in 2000. I think it's time for it to self implode:nuke:.

[90-percent]

4. Michael Moore

Moore recently commented on this, contrasting European newspapers with American. In Europe, they make their money with circulation. In America they make it with advertising. Circulation of newspapers in the USA is declining, and the state of newspapers in Europe is more healthy.

I think American's want to be informed, but are tired of being bombarded with sales pitches and enticements to buy buy buy instead of become more informed.

My hero Frank Zappa had said that in America, the politicians DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT IS RUN! He cited the elimination of civics classes in high school.

Lawrence O'Donnell on Keith last night was talking about some guy that advocated prosecuting for treason those politicians that aren't faithful to their oath to "uphold and defend the constitution" and Lawrence said the guy would have known better if he had merely picked up a high school civics text.

I think for at least the last FIVE decades, civics and other classes that teach HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT IS RUN and the founders thinking of how they set up American Government has been totally obliterated from the American High School Curriculum.

More Americans are getting wise to MSM corporate Pravda and either drop out of MSM consumption, probably because they are all just one paycheck away from bankruptcy and can no longer afford the luxury of staying informed on political issues, or get their news through alternate means, like I do by devouring DU a couple of hours a day.

Another thing is I think Americans are a lot less trusting of what they hear on MSM these days. Eight years of Bush playing the MSM like a violin has taught Americans their news contains a lot more corporate propaganda bullshit than ever and is not to be trusted. The whole Iraq was is commonly understood to be based on lies, and Americans now know all these lies were propaganda, not truth! MSM is losing credibility to the average American rapidly, in my opinion.

-90% Jimmy

[Barbara2423]

5. He's talking about FAUX.

[TEXASYANKEE]

6. He's right.

Our MSM treats us like nitwits. Other than Rachel and the occasional piece on PBS, there is no intelligent "mainstream" news source out there. It has all been dumbed down.

[deutsey]

7. While I agree with him, I seem to encounter a disproportionate number of nitwits every day. n/t