straight talk

News Reporting or Entertainment Only?



Posted: Sunday, March 19, 2006

by straight talk

This is just my opinion but I suspect there are many more who think the same. Certainly, we all have our favorite news shows, newspapers, magazines and information sources we look to and trust. Reporting fairly and accurately is a mainstay of our society and Republic. In my opinion in many instances they do just that with the common everyday issues. However, when the issue become more controversial and complex reporting has become of a different nature. The shows actually become boring and predictable. However, the truth is in the ratings where people dial in every night to “get the latest" and listen intently to their favorite news show and newsperson, all the while truly believing they will get to the bottom of the story. Well perhaps that is what happens for most? But for me and many others you are just an extension of the corporate line.

First, lets address politics, which is always a hot item on every show and in every headline. Certainly, politics is an ever evolving profession. Articles or newscasts remain consistent in that when it gets down to the meat and potatoes of politics one wonders if they are reporting, or supporting? It just seems that they are always asking just what is wrong and imply they are seeking or searching diligently for answers, but it is their line of questioning and just what they ask, that one wonders about. I suspect for the average person they have become acclimated to this line of questioning and don’t really expect an answer. They never ever seem to get to the bottom line and no one ever seems to care! Oh sure, they talk good and long, night after night, with multiple different quests about the same issues, but with little to no avail. Sadly, the truth be said, the shows are all the same, and I do mean the same, just different personalities running the questioning. If you watched one show you’ve seen them all and most likely the same guests, except for those on their payroll. Their hired “experts". It seems their line of questioning is devised to bring out a point that they want to get across, or that they support. Often newsman are redirected away from the issue completely. When you hear that lead in [ what can we do] as the same as being the straight mans lead in, they banter back and forth as if they are digging deep but usually wind up with nothing at all. A lot of words but no ending, solution, or answer. Perhaps there isn’t any? That is acceptable, but it could be more in the questions asked then in the answers given.

Here is what I am alluding to. Last evening one of the T.V. commentators asked a Republican and a Democratic guest a direct question concerning illegal aliens and if they thought amnesty was ok to grant to people who got here illegally. Did they answer? Well we all know they didn’t. They rambled on in another direction talking about the past and other politicians. I do give the newscaster credit that he persisted but to no avail. My prediction- at least 80% will get amnesty. As for the National Guard, gte used to it Americans, there aren't enough to fight off an invasion of the nation on our soil.

Another example- Katrina- months ago many people, including myself, were saying that no one would never get to the bottom or understand what happened in the that fiasco. That there would be hearings, finger pointing and misdirection until we get to the point where no one would ever know what the truth is. Well, what do we do know now in March 2006 is that is exactly what has happened. Who can tell you where it is?

What about the port fiasco. I wonder why they don’t use a similar analogy? How about this- would it have been proper to have Spain run our ports during the second World War. After all they were neutral, weren’t they, or what about Argentina, they were also neutral- right? It didn’t matter that Franco of Spain- had a warm fuzzy with Hitler- or Argentina the same? Isn’t this similar only with different characters? Also, it would be nice is someone were to ask who these new owners are that popped out of nowhere to buy the deal? Who owns them and why they were no where to be found before this hit the news? Did they just show up out of the blue, or were they in contention sometime before and were out bid, or ignored? Then, all of a sudden we get the news speaking about the “Mafia" on the docks. Give us a break, wasn’t there a famous movie about this, with a famous star back in the early 50‘s? I seem to recall some one said Lucky Luciano helped concerning Sicily during WWII. Who knows how true that is or not, but in my opinion if we turned our ports over to American Longshoremen we wouldn’t have much to worry about.

Lets look to jobs a big concern today! A T.V. show host asked about the 30,000 Ford workers getting laid off and what can be done? One respondent stated, to paraphrase, that these workers must learn to take less to be competitive in this new Global market. The newsman concurred and moved to another topic. He had evidently made the point the wanted to make since this was a market / investment program geared to those who have money to invest and were happy with the move- more profits and corporate health. That is the American way and nothing wrong with making money. Once again it all pointed out it is not about people or countries, but money. Then again nothing was ever mentioned about American companies perhaps owning or having significant investment in many of these international car makers that are investing here and doing well. Why should it matter if these companies make the money? Could it all go in the same pocket? Then, as if perfect timing, right after that the news carried that 400 tech workers were being laid off in Tampa, Florida. These jobs would go to their “Global System". However, that company elected not to respond to what that meant. We all know what it meant and yet they didn’t even have the you know what to tell it like it is. Finally, France evokes a new law about laying off without notice and riots break out. How come no comparison to our state - A Right To Work State and they can do it whenever they want, even though you have been employed there for years! Is it that we are that mute to the entire process or don’t want to jar a nerve?

Finally, everyone touches on but never land on is China. Do you notice it never gets to just what this really means to us? It is always the pie in the sky response that their new found wealth will keep them on the path to peace. [cough, cough] These same news people evidently forgot what the founders of the Communist Doctrine preached. Oh, sorry, we won the war against communism. Why do we sell them our latest planes, let them build our computers and electronic equipment, our clothing, and on and on, with no real return to America? I believe we have deficits with China, not surpluses? All we hear is that we are spreading freedom and democracy. I wonder what is on the minds of the Chinese as their military and industrial might grows? Just yesterday during the senate budget hearings I heard the first expressions of concern about the deficit and American companies going bye, bye. That would be along with our dollars to make interest payments for the next century or two. Perhaps China will own enough of us by then that they would not have to war with us. They would have won economically, much like Japan.

To add to all of this we have the ongoing everyday problem with Iraq and the potential for war between two religious sects. A war that has been going on for centuries and it will continue to go on until one wipes the other out and after that who is next- the Jews or us? All the great minds meet and talk about what can be done. How sadly that we do not understand the one problem we will always have is the one thing they cannot control- that thing called MAN!

So, this brings me back to my original line of thought, in the end it is the newsman and freedom of the press who can bring the hard questions to the fore and press people to answer for their wrong doings and bring the hard issues to the fore. Then again, like Hitler’s Minister of propaganda and others and Baghdad Bob, there are those who just spit out what those in power think is correct for bottom line results. My answer to this is a question - what kind of newsman are you? Does the show you watch get down to the nuts and bolts or does it just spew out the same sorry rhetoric each and every night?

Robert T. Melaccio Sr. Copyright ©2006 Robert Melaccio



Robert Melaccio Sr. has worked in the computer industry for 40 plus years in a diversified business and managerial environments. He enjoys freelance writing, giving seminars for young adults and teen groups as well as being an accomplished award winning poet of published poetry. He has worked teaching and as a youth minister. He is married and has three children and three grandchildren.

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