Independence from the Media

It was a pleasure having Jeff Cohen speak to us in class on Thursday. He gave us a really interesting perspective on the current status of the as an independent journalist who has had experience in the mainstream media. His experiences are both uplifting and heart-breaking - at least from the point of view of any journalist who believes in principles and morals. I was disgusted to hear how MSNBC was too afraid to challenge authority during the political campaign for a war in Iraq; how they were too worried about being the only station that would stand out as dissenters amongst lemmings waving the American flag. That is not how the media is supposed ti operate, regardless of the fact the they are owned by corporations. But obviously, that had some sort of impact on the decision making process amongst news outlets for the past few years, perhaps even the past few decades.

The news is becoming less and less about what people need to see and hear, and more about what can be shown with the least amount of blow back. That's censorship. Canceling Phil Donahue's show, one of the most popular programs on MSNBC, is censorship. It's a violation of our rights as journalists, as people, to voice our opinions and challenge authority, especially if those opinions are largely centered around fact. And honestly, even though I hear it all the time, it's still hard to hear the shortcomings of my profession.

But Jeff was still able to give me hope, if not in the mainstream, at least in the potential of independent outlets. Journalism is not dead, it's just being recreated, remolded. It's getting a much needed face lift. And hopefully, there won't be a great deal of scar tissue remaining after this round of surgery...