TRMS in 2010

If you aren't watching the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC every evening, you are missing the whole reason that television was invented.

Somebody has to "fact check" the preposterous claims and paranoid fantasies of the far right wing (which is quickly become the dead-center) of the Republican Party.  She does it, she is smart, she must work like mad with a very small staff to uncover who exactly is funding what interest group; what a politician who says he is terribly against something today said about the same thing four months or four years ago, back when the Bush Administration was in power, and general is trying to unveil the forces of hypocrisy and disinformation that are abroad in the land.

Obviously, all the news media ought to be doing this.  Journalism was (and is supposed to be) a "profession."  It has a public trust.  There are supposed to be rules:  you don't make stuff up, you confirm your sources, and you certainly don't do your job by simply taking talking points from the GOP hate machine and repeating them for the bedevilment of middle America.  But journalists most now are not very bright, don't work very hard, seek only to promote conflict and controversy, and aren't much worried about honesty or ethics.

Maddow is different.  First, she is very smart.  Second, she is well-educated (Stanford and Oxford).  But third, and most importantly, she speaks honesty about what is going on in the public sphere, and conducts interviews with informed, perceptive guests who are willing to share of their experience and reportage.

Rachel Maddow on MSNBC

I know, I know she is a l*sbian.  For some, that may put her beyond the pale.  Just like some can't stand it that our president is--you, know, well--he is black (that is, a n**ger).  (I, personally, am mostly so relieved that they are smart.  It wasn't the ignorant and stupid who were supposed to inherit the earth, as seems to be happening; it was supposed to be the poor).

But if you are at all broad or open minded, or want to understand the political arena in 2010 a bit better than you do now, do yourself a favor and tune in The Rachel Maddow Show.  She is fantastic!  What a blessing in a sea of mediocre journalism.  Along, I have to say, with Charlie Rose--who does straight on, unbiased interview that shouldn't be missed either.

Can you make that a New Year's Resolution?  I will.

PS--oh, and also, she is a geek.

Comments

[Emmi]

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Great post!! I adore Maddow. There was a time when news organizations were expected to show both sides and be unbiased. Now it's just become a joke. I see some newspapers doing their jobs okay, but certainly not tv "news".

Factchecking is fraught with its own problems but it's a great start and a huge no-brainer. I'd be even more impressed if Maddow featured both liberal and conservative news sources just to show both sides.

There have been rumors that Charlie Rose is gay. I don't see why it's relevant to his profession any more that I give a crap about who Maddow sees in her free time. Anyone who focuses on that kind of thing isn't interested in news anyway, only extremist propaganda.

Love the post. Happy 2010!!  :D

[Random Musings]

[this is good]