Simple Man Politics

Today in Simple Man Politics we are going to discuss “The Future of Journalism”, which is unsurprisingly the title of the Senator John Kerry (D) commerce subcommittee hearing held this very day. Make no mistake my friends the future of journalism is definitely an issue both politically and economically. This hearings subtopic was about the survival of the newspaper industry, which is becoming an endangered species.

For me personally I have a lot of great memories of sitting down at my dining room table to have my first cup of morning coffee, my first morning cigarette and my newspaper. It was a ritual for me as I’m sure it was for most of you a ritual to read the morning paper. I liked to read the front page, the sports page, and the most important page of all the comics.

To be honest though that tradition is the past and the industry helped to put itself there by not thinking ahead to their future and their appetite for the almighty dollar. Along the way the newspaper industry also ceased to be about keeping the public truthfully informed by keeping an eye on those in power for us.

Another unfortunate condition that may be contributing to heir demise is the political agenda and bias that most publications present nowadays. These are the things that the newspaper industry is responsible for doing to themselves.

There are other contributing factors to the failing health of the newspaper industry as well. First there is the 24 hour news cycle created by cable news outlets like Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. Another dangerous news outlet to the health of the newspaper is the internet, where you can find out anything you want on any subject with the typing of a keyword in a Google search and a click of the mouse on the search button.

One of the things that the committee discussed was the quality of good journalism, which some contributed to the newspaper industry. It seems to me however that in light of the newspaper industry and its assured demise that a lack of quality journalism might have helped to contribute to their loss of readership and shrinking subscriptions.

The newspapers argue that it is the internet and cable TV that are doing them in and I agree, because there is quality journalism in both outlets and I am living proof of that. Most of the good unbiased journalists who have written for the newspaper industry in the past now use the internet as a forum to get the word out. Alas though just like the newspaper industry bias has found its way into the cable and internet as well.

Another subject that this committee hearing addressed was how to keep the newspaper industry afloat financially. There was discussion of giving the industry tax exempt status. Another topic was charging for online content. The only phrase that was not uttered today was bailout but I am sure that that topic won’t be too far behind in future hearings particularly since we are bailing everybody else out.

That is all for today folks so have an awesome day and I will be back tomorrow CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Hello my friends and welcome to another installment of Simple Man Politics. Today’s topic is one I have had an opinion on for sometime, but of course I always do have an opinion on what I write about, so I guess that isn’t really news. However today’s topic is about news or more to the point newspapers and the idea that they need government bail outs to. As you are all aware of by now I have not favored bail outs for any businesses, so my opinion on newspaper bail outs will be no different.

It doesn’t matter to me whether your business is banking, insurance, investments, autos, news papers, or anyone for that matter. A free market capitalist economy/society has always had a survival of the fittest mentality, which means that the weak die and the strong survive. This philosophy is what ultimately makes a nations economy stronger. Unfortunately in this new age of entitlement that we are now suffering through, every hog is fighting for their place at the tax payer trough.

Now don’t get me wrong I used to enjoy reading the newspaper. When I was a kid I couldn’t wait for the Sunday paper to be delivered so I could read the comics. As a teen I added the sports page to my list of required reading from my local paper. When I became an adult my morning coffee and paper was a ritual that I was loathe to forgo, needing my information fix on local, state, and national news.

But as we all know times change. First with the advent of cable and ultimately the creation of the 24 hour news cycle it became possible for me to catch up on the news at the push of a button becoming my morning ritual of coffee and cable, instead of coffee and paper. With the creation of the internet and all of its resources it finally took the place of cable and coffee and became computer and coffee.

The great thing about all of this is that it has all happened in my lifetime, and I have welcomed the technology age with open arms, and so was delivered out of the dark ages and into the light. All of this has become possible because we had a growing economy willing to take advantage of cutting edge technology that has kept America at the forefront of the world economically, and eventually led to us being the sole remaining global superpower in the world.

In addition to all of that I have another reason for not wanting to see any newspapers getting government bailouts. The reason newspapers exist in the first place is to keep an eye on our government as well as the world to keep us informed. Unfortunately it has been proven that the newspapers are not looking out for us regular Joes anymore. Newspapers now have their own political agenda’s that they promote and are anything but fair and balanced in their reporting.

I personally don’t care whether a publication is left wing or right wing; they should not be picking sides in political fights. Their job is and should be reporting the news factually and accurately, without bias or prejudice. This rarely happens anymore and to the detriment of society I might add. Bailouts might make these newspapers supplicate themselves to the government making them unable to defend us against those they are supposed to be watching, the government.

I pay my bills, feed my family, put a roof over their heads, and clothes on their backs. Whether I am right or wrong we survive by the decisions I make every day, if I am right we swim, and if I am wrong we sink. There is no government program out there that is going to bail me out if I get in a little trouble. Sure there is unemployment and food stamp’s, but how long can you be a productive member of society on those pittances. So I say no government bailouts for me no government bailouts for anybody. My tax dollars should be working for me not big business, or Barack Obama and company.

That is all I have to rant about for today, but as usual I am sure I will find something else tomorrow. Have a marvelous Monday all, CIAO4NOW!!!!!