The Decline of Western Civilization as measured by shoddy journalism

A rather sad commentary on the state of the America media from one of the most important advocates for a return to rational discourse, Jon Stewart.

There's a distinction here that I want you to understand. It relates to the topic we've discussed in class about the elements of news, namely conflict and resolution. There is a real conflict here, the conflict as to how the resources of our government should be used to deal with the jobs crisis. We should be having a real, meaningful debate about that conflict. But what does the media focus on instead? The conflict regarding when Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress was scheduled, and who was the winner of this faux conflict?

Stewart demonstrates how pathetic even the White House press corps — presumably the elite of the elite of our nation's journalists — has become by simply holding up a mirror to the White House briefing room. Twenty-three questions about the scheduling conflict, and just nine on the actual substance of Obama's jobs proposal, a proposal designed to deal with the unemployment crisis in this country, a crisis that is causing substantial pain for millions of Americans.

It makes you wonder if, instead of covering our nation's government, these "journalists" should by out chasing Brad Pitt around to find out which person with a name other than Angelina he's having sex with. If only they had the capacity to feel shame.