When Bad Things Happen To The Media

Bob Parks: Blaack & Right ^ | 6/13/08 | Bob Parks

[bocopar]

I know this may come off as callous and insensitive to some, but it has to be said.

While I have no animus against Tim Russert, I am again in amazement how thoroughly the news world has been turned on its head because of the death of one journalist. One of them.

[the invisib1e hand]

to the media, the death of Mr. Russert was the good news.

The bad news was that print advertising is down 14%. So naturally that had to be unreported.

[BenLurkin]

If anything, it shows just how much those who disseminate information think of themselves.

Agree. It seems the Mr. Russert was a fine man but his passing is being recognized in a manner which is way out of proportion.

[blackbart.223]

He does make a valid point.

[Secret Agent Man]

It’s because he was one of them, a guy who worked for big Dem figures (Moynihan, the former NY Gov whose name escapes me even tho I can see his face).

That and because he was tough on Repubs, and not as tough on Dems. He was a liberal journalist. What else can you say other than that his death was very quick and he didn’t suffer.

[mnehring]

Is it really any surprise Bob? The media lives in a world, created by themselves, that revolves around themselves. Tim Russert seems like a decent man and I don't want to diminish the hurt his family must feel, but the media is really looking at this as a big ‘look at me’ moment.

[txhurl]

I teared up along with Greta again a few minutes ago.

I've called Mr. Russert some names I'm now ashamed of, but he was a good man. Condolences to his family.

[kms61]

I agree that its overblown. The way I look at it is if someone at my workplace died, things would come to a screeching halt for the rest of the day. The difference when it happens in the media is that they have cameras. It’s tiresoome, but completely predictable, and it’s not going to change. You can get worked up over it, or watch another channel until it blows over.

[mnehring]

Even Drudge has Russert as the top story and has yet to link to stories on the major earthquake in Japan where many people have lost their lives.

Prayers for them all, Russert’s family and the Japanese people.

[vetvetdoug]

The Entertainment and news industry are the most self flatulating industries there are. When a real hero passes away, like the man that passed away recently from Mississippi that earned the Medal of Honor at age 17, it makes news and is mentioned and is gone. We are going to have to listen about Russert for the next several days. The News likes to report about themselves because they think it validates much of what they do.

[CitizenUSA]

The author makes an excellent point. I was sorry to hear about Tim Russert, but his death is hardly news of greater importance than floods in Iowa, the Mars lander, $4 gallon gas, the war in Iraq, or a hundred other stories affecting hundreds of thousands if not millions of people. The networks even broke into normal broadcasting to announce his death. He was a journalist. He might have been a decent journalist, but he was only a journalist.

[CitizenUSA]

A very reasonable explanation. Thanks.

[fowb]

I feel bad for his family but as far as I’m concerned he was just another liberal media gasbag. He was probably a bit more balanced than Stephanopolus or Matthews, but still toed the line when necessary.

[Revolting cat!]

Thank you Bob for saying it. Celebrity worship galore (see this very forum for examples.) It makes one barf and long for the days of the Soviet newsreels which were narrated off screen by faceless hacks. Yes, I wish for faceless hacks instead of celebrity newsreaders reading from teleprompters, halfwitted newsreaders, whom many here consider, for mysterious reasons, “journalists”. Journalists, ahem, write, get it?

[oldvike]

Russert, while liberal, was the last of the true journalists, IMO. I have no problem with the tributes he’s receiving. He was one of a kind. RIP Tim.

[Candor7]

Jeter Pennings, Rim Tussert, now gone?

Who is next, Ran Dather?

Maybe Michael Moore?

The good Lord is calling Liberal mouth pieces home to the Big Presser in the sky.

The reasons may be apparent.

Drat Mudge needs to watch his step.

[Marie2]

When local tv anchor Dennis Richmond decided to retire, I expected some sort of a salute. He’s been a fixture in the SF Bay Area for 30 years. I thought there’d be a retrospective or something.

But I was shocked at the month long swan song, night after night after night. They just couldn’t let it go. The man was retiring, for heaven’s sake. How many people retire every day? It’s not the end of the earth.

They had tributes, excerpts, histories, commentaries. . .it was just ridiculous.

[Palladin]

It is amazing how fast Greta, etc. dropped the stories of the deaths of the four Boy Scouts and the coldblooded shootings of two little girls to rush and worship at the altar of One Of Their Own.

[Revolting cat!]

You ain’t seen nothing yet! Wait for Baba Wawa or Walter Traitoryouknowwho to kick the bucket! A week of national mourning guaranteed! (Dozens of Pray-A-Thon threads here, multitudes of FReeper skeptics banned for life!)

[FreeAtlanta]

Ok, I have to agree it is disproportional. I liked Russert compared to the others, but he still leaned too left for my comfort.

That said, he was going to give Obama the best examination of all the "moderators" this election season. For this, I am most sad at his passing.

Comfort and blessings to his family. He was the best man to them and obviously loved them and was was loved by them.