Balanced Journalism

One of the things I said repeatedly this weekend to various people is that that the press has been listening to the wrong type of criticism while ignoring more legitimate complaints. I have mixed feelings about whether the model of "balanced journalism" that we have in this country is really the best model, but the ultimate result matters more than some theoretical discussion about what the best model is. While I certainly think from my perspective that shrieks from the Right about "liberal bias" in the media have led to journalism being overly sympathetic to conservatives and Republicans, more important than the political tone of the coverage is the fact that the press has internalized the notion that the highest ideal is not to report the truth in a way which educates people, but the ideal of appearing unbiased. This isn't balance, it is simply braindead stenography. And, more importantly perhaps, it's the kind of braindead stenography which favors views and viewpoints which are backed by powerful well-funded interests. Anyone who can "catapult the propaganda" into the press can get their views legitimized, no matter how wrong.