International coverage at LA Times
NPR just had a discussion on the pressure from shareholders of the media company that owns LA Times to cut international reporting at that paper. On one hand, that wouldn't be much of a loss: their international coverage isn't that good anyways.
On the other hand, the trend is very unsettling. At the time when Americans are already informationally cut off from the rest of the world, and have got no clue as to how they are viewed by everyone else, international reporting is disappearing under pressure for greater financial gains.
It seems that the papers around the country are cutting costs, and any serious reporting that entails them, and then they wonder why their readership is going down the drain. I hate to sing the old tired song about the evils of corporations, but yet again, their primary purpose - pursuit of profits, is leaving behind the public good - in this case, keeping the public informed (a prime prerequisite for Democracy). Yet again, a similarly overused tall tale on the right - that everything is better when run by private sector - is panning out to be a crock.
P.S.: I apologize for the forceful style of today's post and prevalence of swearwords, but the ineptitude of this administration, the flushing of our Democracy down the crapper, and total destruction of our moral standing in the world are getting to me. I guess I am not going to get hired by the Edwards campaign. Not that I would want to.
On the other hand, the trend is very unsettling. At the time when Americans are already informationally cut off from the rest of the world, and have got no clue as to how they are viewed by everyone else, international reporting is disappearing under pressure for greater financial gains.
It seems that the papers around the country are cutting costs, and any serious reporting that entails them, and then they wonder why their readership is going down the drain. I hate to sing the old tired song about the evils of corporations, but yet again, their primary purpose - pursuit of profits, is leaving behind the public good - in this case, keeping the public informed (a prime prerequisite for Democracy). Yet again, a similarly overused tall tale on the right - that everything is better when run by private sector - is panning out to be a crock.
P.S.: I apologize for the forceful style of today's post and prevalence of swearwords, but the ineptitude of this administration, the flushing of our Democracy down the crapper, and total destruction of our moral standing in the world are getting to me. I guess I am not going to get hired by the Edwards campaign. Not that I would want to.