After the French Revolution, Edmund Burke referred to the Press Gallery in the House of Commons as "The Fourth Estate." He indicated that they were more important than the clergy, nobles, and commoners in framing political issues.
Day after day, I read of the boiling frustration with the MSM here. And then there is today's exuberance that, in a small way, a glimmer of the old NYT returned with the coverage of McCain's small Freddie problem. But by en large, the MSM is viewed as incompetent, spineless, useless, and easily manipulated.
One day I made a mistake in debating with my conservative Republican father. I used the word "they" to describe...I don't remember, government, culture, something...and he retorted, "Who is THEY? THEY is US."
I don't always agree with him, but I have to admit that he got me. So when I read about the frustration about the MSM, I am reminded that 'they is us' and The Fourth Estate of the future is likely stacking blocks in your living room, laughing about the extremely repetitive adventures of SpongeBob, or is having an Emo-Angsty fit while wearing all black, plotting a tattoo in spite of your wish they do not get one now, and swearing under their breath at you.
I have taught graduate students, and let me tell you: I sincerely believe the problem with the media as we know it now (and I am not talking about bloggers here, even though I consider that media) is that people simply cannot write anymore. And I don't even mean that the language isn't beautiful or poetic. I mean they just cannot write. They can not put coherent thoughts together and make a coherent thesis, paper, or story. Forget putting together several century-enduring literature like Common Sense.
Many of the students I've taught have never done an outline. Worringly, they have no way of distinguishing the bad research (as in bad information) from the good. Even worse is that it appears that students have been taught that all information is important -- everyone has a valid point of view. It is simply NOT true that all information is worth ingesting or worth consideration. In fact, one time I told a student of mine that she was ACTIVELY participating in quack medicine and facilitating what I considered abuse of a child -- as this "cure" required strapping the child with autism down and forcing an IV of liquid vitamins on him -- and she told me that I was "nullifying her opinion" and that wasn't my job as a professor. She later filed a complaint against me.
I have had to teach graduate students how to use a library. I have taught them to write a topic sentence. I have also taught them to lay out a cogent argument and taught rudimentary logic. And it is exceedingly difficult. I am fought on it, every step. They think it is "boring" and "a waste of time." They want to just surf the Net and copy the information without vetting it first. And they definitely have a different idea of what constitutes plagarism than I do.
These are people in Masters' and doctoral programs. They write their theses in a barely coherent manner, but still pass, because the schools don't want to get sued. This is not only a failure of writing, but of critical thinking. Writing well and critical thinking are interrelated. Writing well teaches one to think critically, and when one thinks critically, one's writing improves.
We cannot whine about the lack of effectiveness of the MSM when we created the problem. The entire educational system is geared towards the historically liberal, now scientifically defunct idea that self-esteem is somehow related to high achievement. Everyone is a special, unique snowflake with their special unique point of view, all worth considering. And then we wring our hands in consternation that people can't understand the difference between a scientific theory and a biblical story? That "Fair and Balanced" has become so perverted that it means "whoever makes it easy for me to write this stupid thing?"
There is a big gap between being William Randolph Hearst and singlehandedly starting the Spanish American War (you furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war) and giving credence to an agenda that USES the press in a cyncial and evil way due to critical blindness. One cannot be expected to see that manipulation if one 1) depends on the source to solely write the article and 2) cannot think critically about motives for providing the information and 3) doesn't double check the information provided.
It is the Special Snowflake standard of education that has led us to the degeneration of the Fourth Estate. The media will not improve until critical thinking is restored as a value, and this means teaching it to our children and students right now, even if they complain. Those in power have been able to manipulate the media because of a general lack of competency within it. I believe that some reporters' hearts are in the right place but they simply don't have the tools.
We must throw our effort into Education Reform. The disintegrating educational system has been working to the advantage of those who don't want people to be able to think critically -- because that means calling them on their stealing, thieving, and lying.
Therefore, look to your living room, and tend to the upcoming Fourth Estate. For their own good as well as ours.
We are all depending on you.