Aaron Sorkin, source of a perfect world

        While here in Thailand I missed the season premiere of HBO's Newsroom.  I am bummed.  Like West Wing, creator Aaron Sorkin has created a perfect world where idealism mixed with professional pride and extraordinary talent accomplishes great things.  

I asked a friend with 20+ years of network news experience and 20+ Emmy awards to show for it whether Newsroom is at all realistic.  Sadly, I learned it is not.  A real newsroom lacks the time for pontification and the great speeches that Sorkin offers.  Perhaps, what Sorkin really wants to offer us is a journalistic ideal.  No, not perhaps.  That is what he is doing.  Not to mention a lot of very good looking people.  And Jeff Daniels. 

I see things close to that ideal while In Thailand.  Getting CNN International and BBC I learn about actual news.  Not the news through the eyes of politicians like CNN in America, FOX and MSNBC offer, but through the eyes of experts who actually tell me why the news is important, who is effected and what are the possibilities for actions and reactions.  Actual news.  

The world does not care about Republicans and Democrats.  They care about important things.  Not watching American cable news networks, I get to learn about important things.  The worst thing about CNN International is that they still have Piers Morgan.  Why?  Piers Morgan is to journalism what Ke$ha is to fine art.  But I digress.

Keep giving us ideals, Mr. Sorkin.  We need things to aspire to.  We need to think there is hope and a world where journalistic skill,  intellect and ethics override greed, the thirst for ratings and the belief that if you put enough attractive women on a news set, that some sort of news might be delivered. 

Ever shrinking budgets make gathering news so much harder.  Newsrooms of TV stations and now a Georgia newspaper chain have fired photographers and told the reporters they are now photographers AND videographers AND reporters AND editors AND bloggers AND tweeters..... They are called "One Man Bands."  (Pardon the sexism.  I just report this stuff, I don't give it names.)

Burnout among journalists is high, pay remains pretty low and the quality is diminishing.  Journalists are now sadly among the least trusted professions.  Perhaps because so many believe a blogger is a journalist, but that's another story.  

We need journalistic ideals.  We need Aaron Sorkin to reassure us that there are still those that want to inform us and do so without a political agenda.  I know my friend in the actual newsroom takes great pride in the content he offers and has the awards and respect to show for it.  

In America, we have CNN, Fox, MSNBC and thousands of bloggers.  What do we viewers have to show for it?

Media Fixed: Proclaimed "Neutered"

"Intellectually neutered."  A great phrase. No way to interpret that as a compliment.

That is how Will Cain of the Blaze recently described journalists on CNN’s 'Reliable Sources.'

Will also dismissed our news gatherers as "shallow theater critics." 

Evidence of this:  according to polls, most do not know what the 'sequester' is or its effects, but we know that each party blames the other for it. More evidence:  Some may actually have believed it was inevitable.  Still more: We don't know what Marco Rubio said after the SOTU, but we know he was thirsty.  A bit more:  much attention paid to Obama confusing Star Wars and Star Trek.  Mind melds were Vulcan.  All school children should have learned that in first grade.  (Maybe just my kids learned that in first grade.)  Not much attention paid to actual effects of, well, the sequester.

It is so easy to analyze what doesn't matter.  How else could Joan Rivers justify making a living critiquing clothing at the Oscars when her sole expertise comes from 50+ years as a comedienne?

Another question:  why call the budget cut a 'sequester?"  Was our government depending on the "kardashianism" of our media in the hope that the public would hear a three syllable, nine letter word and tune out?  Thanks to Will Cain, among others, for giving us the term "Kardashianism."

Maybe we get what we want. Actually trending recently:  Britney Spear's shopping list.  Trending as I write this: Paul McCartney arrived at his daughter’s show late.  Trying to sleep now will be hopeless.

By the way, is there a need to know the difference between a Kardashian and a Snooki? Is there a difference?  I am sure there is a newly neutered news correspondent covering this important issue.

While We Were Watching The Poop Hit The Deck

A great story. Trapped in a flood of sewage on a luxury liner.  Even without actual video, word pictures did wonders to make the story work. I mean having Sanjay Gupta call it a 'floating petri dish.'  Dang.  Now that's visuals.  I watched CNN's exclusive video of a non-moving ship at sea. I watched Fox News lacking the budget to actually send a reporter to the scene, depending on studio hosts talking via cell phone.

I bought the story and watched the reunions.  I got sucked in hearing how bad things sucked.  I wonder if many politicians and the media were glad to have us distracted.  From what I gather, our leaders would much rather have us pay attention to stories of poop in the hallways then know what is going on in Des Moines and the world.

Wait, another passenger is talking to CNN:  “We walked through…well, stuff that had overflowed…but the crew never stopped smiling…”

Oskaloosa (Iowa) republican Guy Vander Linden reading from his party’s talking points, did admit this week that his party is pushing through a voter id law.  He wants to make sure that our fair legal elections are altered to assure that some are excluded.  Well, that’s not what he said but considering there were few (or no) reports of voting irregularity in Iowa, or America, what other motivation could there be?

"Oh, the crew went above and beyond..."

Campaign finance reform is on the table. Thanks to DM Register for a fair and balanced story.  (seriously) Few have more to lose if such reform is passed than the media.  One billion dollars were spent on the last election.  Republicans vow to kill it. We could join 20+ states that have introduced some form of common sense campaign finance reform.  It is no wonder that 4 of 5 Supreme Court justices that voted for Citizens United didn’t show up for the state of the union address.  They know how much they injured the state of the union.  Do the media really want campaign finance reform?  The people that own the media have so much to lose if such regulations spread.

"We give thanks to God and the crew."

Since I got back from Thailand on February 1, the price of a gallon of gas has gone up 24 cents.  No reason except an improving economy makes oil speculators more optimistic that we will travel more, hence price gouging.  Oh, you want an update on returning luxury cruise passengers?  OK.

"Conditions were deplorable, food was scarce a couple of days but the crew was fantastic."

Yes, I was among the distracted.  Passengers are safe.  What I learned from that story is that the crew did great work.  Time to get back to our world.

reflections of a well respected guava

I am a guava in Thailand.  Foreigners, especially Americans, are referred to as "farangs", a Thai word for guava.  It is said with respect.  As much respect as a traveling guava might get.  I am treated very well here.  I have learned a lot.  And have many questions.  And I answered many questions from the students from the dozen or so countries that I have met.

Why doesn't America release Burma from all of the economic sanctions.  The Burmese students answer the question in a way that Hillary Clinton was too politic to answer.   It is because they are not free.  Yet.  They are optimistic that the process that has begun will be successful.  In about 15 years, they say.  A long process they admit, but freedom takes time.  I have not met citizens of any country with more pride and hope for its future than those of Burma.

My Nigerian students ask why do the American media portray Nigeria as a country wholly consumed with civil war and the bombings that serve as evidence of such a war?  Nigerian students speak with pride about their country.  There are divisions and troubles and prejudice, they admit.  There is also peace in much of the country, a strong culture and an articulate people.

Why does America portray Somalia as the land of pirates and starvation?  The pirates and terrorists are a small percentage of the population.  Somalia has a strong culture and a strong people.  Simple respect would be appreciated.

My Muslim student from Thailand answers my dopey questions about her religion.  I get to admit to her the very much that I don't know about her religion.  She is glad to share since it is her belief that once I understand her religion that the next natural step is that I will want to join her religion.  We compared and contrasted our religions, Judaism and Islam.  We share much and also differ significantly.  She asked why Americans think that she and all her Islamic friends are all terrorists.  I truthfully tell her that not all Americans think all Muslims are alike.  I tell her it is just the ignorant ones.  

She says that watching American media, how could Americans come to any other conclusion except that they are all terrorists?  A fair question and I have no answer.

The person from Bhutan is proud of her country that consistently rates among the ten happiest countries in the world.  She is proud to share literature from her national airline.  The overly complex English sentences included in the magazine tells me that her country does not look down on those that read about it. They lift them up with articulate, though overly complex sentences.  It is also a country that wants tourists but will not sacrifice the safety of its treasured natural resources just to accommodate a few more tourists. Very wise people.  It is a beautiful country.

My Zambian student does not talk about her country that much.  I do know that she is 19 years old and has written a novel and keeps a blog with tips for young women on how to stay safe.  Based on all the people I now know from Zambia, it is a remarkable place.  Victoria Falls, according to those that have visited the Zambian treasure, is worth the trip all by itself.

I ask, to no one in particular, why can't all Americans learn about these and other countries?  Why do American media have to define countries and religions by the acts of a few?  The first answer is that I have been given the gift of meeting these people through my travels to Thailand.  The second answer is also easy.  

Watching America From Afar...

Watching America from afar is fun.  Watching CNN international in Bangkok and staying updated via internet while spending days with students from a bunch of different countries is fascinating.  A great perspective change.  CNN in America covers politics. CNN International covers...news.  It's a very nice change.  Here is some of what else I have learned so far:

For one thing, America, let's not get too cocky about how cool we are.  According to Reporters Without Borders  rankings of countries by degree of press freedom, the USA ranks 47th out of 179 countries. (Why can't we be actually cool like Canada in tenth place?) 

Some other notes I gathered in my travels in Bangkok:

--A young lady from Iran wants to know why American media focus on the Iranian president when the actual power in Iran resides in its religious leaders.

--Young people from Burma tell me that through the extraordinary work of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country is on the rise but still very much a work in progress.  The Burmese media are sources of amusement, though not sources of facts.

--Some Canadian and British nationals say that socialized medicine is not perfect--but it works very well and they don't understand the American issues regarding health care reform.

--A charming young woman from Bhutan taught me two things:  the country of Bhutan exists and it is has been ranked the 6th happiest country in the world. (United States is merely average among the happy countries of the world.) 

Finally, why is Piers Morgan doing whatever he does?  Intelligent debate about gun control is necessary.  He is not capable of carrying such on such a debate or interview or apparently any other journalistic endeavor.  His "questions"--and "questions" needs to be in quotes--seems to be rattling off statistics that he wants opponents of gun control to acknowledge.  Piers, getting people to acknowledge a statistic is as useful as getting people to agree the flu makes you sick.  Develop points of view, debate perspectives... oh, c'mon Piers, you have actually made me miss Larry King.

This is some of what I have observed in Thailand while watching America from afar.  America is great.  With some hard work by our journalists helping us understand our world a bit better, we can definitely be greater.

some 9/11 thoughts--on media and one other thing

In political news:  In front of the capital today, John Boehner gave a dignified and appropriate tribute to the heroes and victims of 9/11.  As he worked to control his emotions and his voice cracked, I do hope that all will take the day off from snark about him showing his emotion.  Nothing wrong with a man showing his humanity as a country deals with the inhumanity of eleven years ago.

CNN showed the speeches and showed the services in front of the capital.  However, the crawl at the bottom of the screen during those speeches told audiences that Jerry Lawler collapsed during a WWE taping and Rove's Crossroads organization is releasing more ads.  Fox News had the class to run a crawl of the names of those that died on 9/11.  Fox showed a lack of class by simultaneously running a discussion of one view of the country's economic condition and that it was all the Democrat's fault.  

No network, broadcast or cable, could spare any time to show the survivors of 9/11 reading the names of those that died that day.  No network could take time away from advertising to show respect to the fallen.  No network could relinquish an opportunity for a commercial to show the survivors  reading the names of the people that died, the people they knew.

MSNBC did what they have done each year on the anniversary which is showing NBC's news coverage in real time as it occurred that day.  Without a crawl and without interruption.  One network still had some idea of perspective.  

As I write this, with great dignity, the survivors read out the names of those that died in New York City on 9/11.  And no network could show them.  Not while there are commercials to run.