The fake calm during the storm or life in America

Helen praises and recognizes journalists that she admires, in the last chapter. It's a long list of people, that I want to research and learn more about. I feel lucky that I was able to see and listen to Seymour Hersh speak at the beginning of this quarter. Hersh is an example of a watchdog journalist.
The deeper I get into journalism, the more I realize how little I know.
Helen's epilogue shows very well how she is upset with the current state of journalism and feels that younger journalists have no sense of history, and that may be true. But sometimes I feel that the older generation is living in the seventies or a different time. They are trying to use old solutions to new problems. It also seems that we are potentially repeating history. The Iraq war is embarrassingly similar to Vietnam. And who's fault is that? The younger generation or the older? The younger for not learning history? Or the Older for not learning from history? It seems to me that everyone, young or old, is potentially at fault. Except for the future generations who will have to live with the decisions we make. Journalists have the duty to keep people informed so they can be free.
I like the quotation from Abe Lincoln at the end of Thomas's book: "Let the people know the facts and the country will be safe."

Poodle or Pitbull?

In chapter nine, Helen finally starts to make some important points about the current state of journalism. I agree with her when she says at the end of chapter nine, that journalists could have prevented the U.S. from going to war in Iraq, if they had only put the spotlight on George Bush's plans to go to war from the beginning. I liked the quote she got from Ted Stannard, "When watchdogs, bird dogs, and bulldogs morph into lapdogs, lazydogs, or yellow dogs, the nation is in trouble." The lack of watchdog journalism gave the people in power a free pass to go to war. Now that this crisis has happened, many journalists are waking up from their slumber and they are starting to reapply the pressure. There still needs to be more though.

In chapter ten, she continues talking about Iraq but kind of veers off the main topic of watchdog journalism once again. She talks about the dangers journalists face when they are out in the field reporting combat situations. In Iraq journalists are often the target of attack. Unlike Vietnam, where a journalism badge could grant a reporter immunity or at least save their life. The journalist who risk their lives to keep the public informed are very courageous. And should be commended for what they have done.

American people's apathy reflects my own

Chapter 8 continues on the same topic as Chapter 7. Thomas discusses in detail the FCC and continues to talk about the powerful influence corporations have on the media. The FCC is a very powerful agency. The FCC has the power to shut people down and censor what they say. And when corporations influnece the FCC, who knows what citizens will be allowed or not allowed to listen to. I think Thomas asks some very important questions at the end of the chapter. "...Where are the American people today in demanding diverse ownership of the airwaves? And where is Congress when they should be stopping the overreach of the giant broadcasting conglomerates?" I lost total faith in the President a while ago, but just recently I have also lost faith in Congress with the passing of the new war funding bill. It feels like there is no one in power who is really representing the voice of the American people. Journalists need to inform the American people about this so they can be a free and self governing people. Or say hello to "1984." I just recently watched All the Presidents Men and I kept on having Deja vu moments. It's crazy how the political atmosphere during the Nixon era is hauntingly similar to the current atmosphere.

"Newspapers are a Business, too" and the business is owned by just a few

I think Chapter 7 hits upon one of the biggest issues of modern news. News(written, radio, and TV) is owned by just a few companies, and they are buying more. The Oregonian for example is owned by Newhouse News Service, which owns 26 different newspapers around the country, and Newhouse is based in Washington, DC. The news on TV is pretty much a joke, and most of it is owned by three companies. The consolidation of media, in my opinion, is a big threat to this country. If independent and privately owned newspapers and other news sources don't fight to be their own thing and fight for their rights, then soon we will be hearing just what big companies want us to hear. It will become difficult to hear opposing viewpoints.
But now that I think about it, it is difficult to do anything nowadays without money and you need a lot of it. It seems like you can seek and report the truth all you want but Bill O'Reilly is going to have a bigger audience. It is very unfair and unbalanced battle and it almost looks impossible. I think it needs to be fought, though.

Hail to Snitches and Bitches and the Journalists that protect them.

I don't really believe in what my title suggests. I just thought it sounded good. I believe when someone sees an injustice or something wrong going on that they should tell someone about it. Not speaking up about it would be the greater evil. I also am aware that many of the people in these situations are afraid of losing there job or even going to jail. That is why they don't tell anyone in the first place. I think a journalist should respect these individuals wishes to be anonymous. I think this whole issue about privacy, however, reveals how convoluted our modern society really is. It really shows how much power the government and corporations have. Even though Jeffrey Wigand followed his conscience and disclosed information on how executives of tobacco companies knew that tobacco was harmful, he was fired from his job and his wife divorced him. Many people who do the right thing get thrown in jail. I agree with Thomas when she wrote, "Gratitude comes later-sometimes too late." This reminds me of Fast Food Nation and how there is crap in hamburgers. How many people have known about this and been afraid to say anything? What else is going on? The Government and corporations have a lot of power. A journalist's duty is to seek out and report the truth. Journalists should encourage others to speak out the truth too, so we can keep the citizns informed about things they should know about. When a person sticks their neck out for the truth, a journalist should do the same to protect them. So the title should be hail to the snitches but not the bitches, because the bitches are doing what they are told and are too afraid to stick their necks out.

Want to learn how to spin the news? Watch Bill O'Reilly

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of watching "Outfoxed." I decided to watch "O'Reilly Factor" before I put in "Outfoxed" and also to see what all the "hoo-ha" was about. I never watched O'Reilly before. I was thinking to myself, "How bad can this show really be?" I gotta say this guy really upsets me. It was disturbing how blatantly biased it was. I always thought the "Colbert Report" was funny, but now I see that Colbert is a parody of O'Reilly. I though the "colbert report was outlandish and an exaggeration, but sadly it is not. O'Reilly is a conceited, self-promoting, lying spinner of the news. It's disturbing how O'Reilly lies and fabricates news. It amazes me that people actually watch this show. This show should be pulled from TV for it's poor quality.
Coincidentally, Chapter 5 of Thomas's memoirs(or should I say "hard-hitting manifesto on the precipitous decline" of modern day journalism)just happens to be called "Spinning the News." This old fox ambles on about the news-managing presidents of the last 50 years. I think it is to be expected that presidents and other people in power are going to attempt to spin the news. I don't think they should, but they're bound to do it. When somebody talks bad about the president, with all that power,of course he is going to try to shut those people up. But some presidents, especially George W. Bush, have crossed the line-big time. It seems to me that Fox news and other news outlets are appendages of the Bush administration. I think Thomas is right when she says that Bush has misled and deceived the country. Just because I agree with her on one point doesn't mean I have to like her, though. She is a better journalist than Bill O'Shady(if he can even be called a journalist).

"an unwanted appendage, like a cocklebur that attaches to your pants leg"Helen's saga continues

Thomas continues on to recount her memories of the "good ol' days." In this chapter, she describes the ignoble and the few noble deeds of the many press secretaries she dealt with. Throughout the chapter Thomas does not hesitate to paint herself as a witty journalist that was feared and respected by all. She loves to mention her trip to China with Nixon. She has mentioned this trip at least twice. Thomas's ego seems to inflate a little bit when President Reagan asks about what she is thinking. There are a lot of little interesting pieces of trivia and history in this chapter and it is interesting to find out about these things. However, what does this really have to do about the "waning press corps"? "Watchdogs" is more of a recollection of Thomas's experiences, accomplishments, and thoughts. The title could be changed to The Life and Times of Helen Thomas. I hope so far she is just setting the scene, and as the book progresses that she will begin talking more about how the press corps has failed the public.
This chapter shows how hard it is for a journalist to get the truth when there are presidents, press secretaries, and others lying to them. But that's just an excuse. It is the journalist's job to dig deep and verify information. It is easy to get bigheaded though. I am writing little stories for a community college newspaper and here I am ripping on an experienced journalist. If Thomas ever read my stories, I wonder what she would think? Anyways, she probably won't read them because I am not the president.