The News!

They say that fewer people are reading newspapers, and that the average newspaper reader is 55 years old. They say that the largest group of people, and especially young people, are getting their news from the internet, where they look at only selective subjects whose reliability is questionable.

Some people get their news from the radio, where there are some acceptable all news stations such as WTOP is Washington, but where news is generally limited to repetitive five minute bites, or dangerous right wing crazies.

What about television? Obviously, a lot of people watch a lot of television, but the network newscasts have lost significant numbers of viewers, and are clearly in transition mode.

For a while, you could turn on CNN, or CNN Headline, or Fox, or MSNBC and get news virtually anytime day or night. (Of course, this was a very short while.) Now, it is impossible. Prime night time TV time has third-rate biopics or crime stories on NBC, absolute loons on Fox News, Larry King and his third rate interviews, followed by a too cute Anderson Cooper 360 show on CNN and, of all people, strident, unwatchale Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News, the station that should provide 'round the clock information. But graceless Nancy Grace is not the only deficient news host. Look at Shawn Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, who disgrace the legitimate right wing, and Allen Combs, the "liberal" who plays Abbot to Hannity's Costello. Then there is the perpetually unpleasant Greta van Sustern, and the perpetually silly Joe Scarborough. They almost make Geraldo Rivera look good.

This is a big country, with a lot of talented people. Where are today's Ted Koppels? Why did Aaron Brown get canned? How is it that the networks and the cable stations feel obliged to put mediocrity or worse on the air? Have they no pride whatsover?