GLASS HOUSES (Dana Perino)

National Review ^ | May 7, 2009 | Dan Perino`

[greyfoxx39]

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Glass Houses    [Dana Perino]

Over the last several months, Washington has been abuzz over the demise of one of the main entities that make up our political system. 
 
Commentators shake their heads and shrug their shoulders, saying that it was bound to happen. It lost its way. It failed to keep up with the times. Its popularity rating and its credibility are circling the drain — and so is the money. Many people long associated with it are making the tough decision to leave it and join other groups. It is beleaguered and out-of-sync with America.  
 
Some people delight in its demise but politely cover their mouths to hide their snickers, while others openly sneer. Some wonder if it’ll even survive at all, while others are silently (or, not so silently) hoping it won’t. 
 
And since this is Washington, there’s no shortage of people providing advice for a comeback, like “return to your roots!” 
 
You may think that I’m describing the Republican party. I’m not. I’m describing the mainstream American media. 
 
During the last two years of the Bush administration, I was constantly asked how I felt about the president’s low approval ratings and what we were doing to change him or his policies so that his numbers would improve. I read about those low approval ratings in what seemed like every story about him. In fact, I’m still reading it. It’s good to know that the cut-and-paste tool is functioning so well.   
 
Interestingly, there were two entities that consistently had worse poll numbers than the president’s; those would be Congress — and the media. 
 
In private, I challenged a few reporters on what they would be doing to change their approval ratings. The funny thing was that some of them seemed to wear their unpopularity as a badge of honor. They didn’t think they needed to change. 
 
Well, how do they like it now?  
 
One of the changes in the last few years has been the trend of putting commentary into every news story. My question is: Just what are they suppose to comment on? Who is covering the news? As my dad, the one who taught me to love the news, said recently, “Just give it to me straight — I’ll make up my own mind.” 
 
Those of us who love journalism and want to see it thrive are dismayed at the loss of so many talented journalists as some abandon the profession to seek greener pastures — including explicit politics — and others are laid off for financial reasons as bureaus and even entire papers close down.  
 
President Bush would tell reporters from emerging democracies that to have a successful democracy, a strong national defense is important, but a strong free press is even more important. 
 
I agree with him. The media plays a critical role in our political system, and I hope it finds its way out of its wilderness before too long. But unlike the Republican party, which is working together to emerge as a stronger party, there are days when it’s really hard to see how the media plan to get themselves out of the mess they’ve helped get themselves into.

— Dana Perino served as the White House press secretary for President George W. Bush.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[y6162]

W could have helped himself by promoting her earlier.

[lonestar67]

Like President Bush, she is awesome.

Exactly correct.

[Ev Reeman]

The freedom of the press existed and was put into the Constitution was as a watchdog over big expansionist and tyrannical government no matter which political party was in power. Since the drive by media, the MSM including liberal newspapers, magazines and liberal TV networks and liberal radio programs such as AIR AMERICA are not doing that, not doing their job per se, the American people, aware they were bamboozled by the drive by media about Obummer are now justly and rightfully turning on this same mMSM and drive by media that deceived them.

[Hildy]

Tony Snow to Dana Perino to Robert Gibbs.

From the sublime..to the ridiculous.

[BenLurkin]

BTTT

[jimfree]

Dana rocks!

(She really looks tiny among the troops.)

[golfisnr1]

She sounds sad about the state of journalism. I think this is a eulogy.

[End Times Sentinel]

Thank you for helping Greyfoxx follow the rules.

[griswold3]

I was shocked (well, not actually, it was expected) when Obama threatened the bondholders with turning the White House press corps against them to destroy their reputation.
Obama is being touted as the new FDR to pass the new New Deal. Someone should tell Obama we learned lessons during that time too.

[chimera]

I fancy that bird, especially those collarbones...

[Publius6961]

You may think that I’m describing the Republican party. I’m not. I’m describing the mainstream American media.

The destructive disease is systemic and terminal. Just last night I experienced a classic example, too blatant to dismiss or ignore.

Channel 13, a local Sacramento (Calif) TV station reporting the news at 10: raging fires in the Santa Barbara area. Plenty of drama to go around.

What happens? The children who are "trained" in journalism (and the program director) made the critical first 5 minutes of the newscast about "themselves!"

Goes without saying, I was disgusted and went in search of another news channel which could provide less narcissistic content, and was embued with a bit more panache and professionalism. A trivial example? Perhaps. But typical of the terminal malaise described in this article.

We don't need attention whores, commentary, propaganda or sermons.

We need news!
Most of us who got a competent education can tell the difference.

[jakota]

What surprises me, gris, is that the media goes along willingly. If someone “used” me the way this administration uses the press, I’d be screaming that I am not owned nor controlled by anybody, especially this administration.

[yldstrk]

If the press member knew how to think critically, report the new and not be so worried about selling the product, they wouldn’t be in the mess they are in now. May the journalism degrees should require a little philosophy, more straight literature, not that modern stuff, traditional, and history. This from an English major.

[Ev Reeman]

I am an English major too and all throughout my whole life I have enjoyed reading the printed word especially non fiction books with a conservative leaning like from authors such as Mark Steyn, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Bernard Goldberg, Newt Gingrich and Dick Morris. I was raised on the Bible and since then I have read a lot of books, magazines and newspapers. I also watch FOX NEWS CHANNEL which is the most honest news channel in America. And I love listening to Rush Limbaugh. These are the folks who have America’s real interests in their hearts and minds.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

BUMP!

See my new tag line? ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oops!

Better...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

What’s with those dopey little ‘A’ thingys?