Honest Journalism or Political Theatricality?

An editorial by Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post got me thinking the other day about the media’s role in politics. As I’m sure we are all aware, there are dozens of TV personalities that claim to be political journalists, people searching for the truth and attempting to make sense of this crazy political state we’re in. There is a part of me that wants to believe every word that these people tell me, however, there remains that small portion of my consciousness that keeps telling me that this is all just an act. Are these ‘journalists’ sticking to their roots and honestly telling it as it is, or are they pawns playing for the parties, who slant their data in favor of their own political beliefs?

Kurtz has been in the journalism field for quite some time now so he obviously knows how to write to American citizens. He uses simple words and avoids concepts that the Average Joe wouldn’t understand. He has an established career in several mediums: newspaper, blog, television, as well as books. Even though it seems that he has the experience backing him, he has a reputation of being somewhat of hypocrite. In his editorial he talks about defining the line between doing honest journalism and just making a name for yourself and your political agenda. Yet, he has been cited on may occasions slanting his writing towards whichever company, PAC, client, etc, is paying him to write. So, how can we sit here and read an entire article about trying to get back to the heart of journalism and news information when we have a prime example of a sell-out right in front of us?

Now, with that said, I do believe that Kurtz has made a very good point. The heart of this article was, I believe, written from a place of true respect for what the institution of the media used to represent. Newspapers and their reporters used to symbolize digging into the verity of the issues, but now it seems that money talks louder than principle. And, as John Stewart points out in this clip, all shows and news outlets are susceptible to falling prey to the influence of the greenback.

Overall, while Kurtz may not have the most reliable track record, he makes a good point that we should all consider.