The Death of Journalism & Impartial Voting Information

You might have gleaned from a few details scattered around this blog, that I - for a large part of my life and career - was once a telev!s!on news rep0rter. (That's why I'm anonymous - I don't want potential employers to find me here via G00gle and then judge my writing ability by the casual and personal prose that I set forth here. Also there's that whole journalistic impartiality issue!)

I left the Beast (as we call it) when it was clear that stories on Brittany and the Beckhams were more important than actual journalism.
Eminent domain threatening the homesteaded land upon which your family toiled for 5 generations? Is your local government spending money it doesn't have? That you'll end up paying in tax hikes? B o r i n g !! Tell us something interesting - like is that celebrity pregnant or fat? WE NEED TO KNOW!

Ugh.

I blame the 24 hour news cycle. CNN came about when I was in college. Their boon came at the start of the Gulf War. Operation Desert Storm was the first American War covered LIVE on a daily basis. I was studying broadcasting and was fascinated by the live coverage from the War Zone. I remember gasping in shock and fear when I witnessed simultanously, mortar fire and the loss of the live signal. It was incredible. It was scary.

But once the Gulf War faded from the flickering 28 frames per second on our screens- they had to fill their 24 hour news cycle with something else. How about 24 hours of the OJ Simpson trial? 24/7 Jonbenet Ramsey coverage?

Pundints and so-called experts got their own tv shows. The line between journalist and show host blurred and then faded completely.
The news industry, which once boasted trusted newsmen like Huntley, Brinkley and Cronkite became the least trustworthy profession... beating out hated lawyers and used car salesmen.

Worst of all - when corporations bought out the networks - after the Reagan Administration eased the restrictions on TV station ownership - (it used to be that there was a limit on how many telev!is!on stations could fall under the same ownership. It was a protection of the public trust) - telev!s!on news in the public interest died.
When once we had to operate in the public interest, and present news and information in an equal and unbiased manner - now it's all about the almighty dollar. (you'd be surprised if you knew how very little your local news anchors and reporters make in salary. The almighty dollar is for the big wigs. In many towns, that glamorous news anchor makes less than a first year teacher. Surprise!! )
Today even the network news programs are labeled liberal or conservative - Republican or Democrat.

It's impossible to get untainted political information these days.

So ladies and gentlemen - in the spirit of unbiased journalism - I want to offer you all a source of unbiased political info.

The League of Women Voters. The LWV provides non-partisian informaton of each candidate's stance on the issues. Here you can find the break down of the Presidential Candidate's positions on common issues. You can also find neutral explainations of ballot considerations for your city and state.

Make an informed decision. Vote for what you believe - not what one guy said they'll do better than the other guy.

Good luck and happy voting! Vote early. Vote often. Vote at least once!

If you have resources for other non-partisian neutral guides please share.
I ask that any commenters refrain from blatent support or detraction of any one candidate on my blog.
Thank you.