Newsesque

Looks to me like it's time for a blogger ethics panel:

"Did your local news recently do a two-minute clip on music copyright infringement? If so, you can thank the RIAA. They sent out a video press release to local news stations as part of their 'holiday anti-piracy campaign.' In it, they warn people that the best way to avoid counterfeit music is to avoid 'compilation CDs that could only exist in the dreams of a music fan' and to trust their ears, because illegally copied music usually sounds 'atrocious.' Instead, they encourage watchers to buy ringtones for Christmas."

The hard-working, diligent reporters of America who shed light on the dark corners of the world's most powerful institutions and let people know what's really happening beyond the superficial flow of events deserve -- and, I think, often receive -- all the respect in the world. But the fact of the matter is that such work is a minority of what takes place under the banner of "journalism" in America.