Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

Well aren’t we in good shape?

The economy is convulsing, gas prices are squeezing us, and the endless war in Iraq keeps on keeping on. And what does the media cover? Barack Obama’s nutcase pastor, “Reverend Wright.” This is disgraceful from every angle. There has been virtually no meaningful coverage of any of the issues that are making life miserable for Americans.

As for “Reverend” Wright, it’s become clear that his real ambition is not serving the Gospel, but serving himself. His self-aggrandizing performance in several interviews this past week made clear that his desire is to be a media celebrity. His absurd statements only served to expose him as the narcissistic buffoon that he is, that he’s a “pastor” with showbiz fantasies.

Most religious congregations are led by men and women of integrity who preach their scriptures with humility and conviction, passionate to bring comfort to the lives of the hungry souls listening. But clearly there are some for whom the Sabbath is an opportunity to star in a show. Hundreds and even thousands of seekers hang on the words of these performers who revel in the attention and adulation. Wright made clear which category he falls into in this regard. He was a cringe-worthy embarrassment.

As for the “news” media, these days they mostly shame their profession. If ever there was an illustration of television news outlets driven mostly by profit, as opposed to the public good, this is it. Scrambling for ratings, scratching out numbers of viewers divided among them, desperate for a revenues, CNN, MSNBC, Fox news, ABC, NBC and CBS are clearly about the money. And yet they have the temerity to posture as if they are serving the public by covering the "important" issues of the day. It is beyond obnoxious.

A lot of the public blather about the media focuses on the ideological bias of the various outlets. You know, the mainstream media have a liberal bias, and Fox news is right wing. But this is a canard. The scandal is not the perceived ideological bias of the various news channels, the outrage is their shameless pandering for ratings. Their ideology is actually unified: the almighty dollar.

I don’t know when it happened exactly, but whenever it was that media “journalists” became celebrities and television stars, the information available to the public is no looser or more insightful than that provided by the media outlets in the darkest days in Russia, China or North Korea. While they were indeed controlled by a psychotic ideology, our news is equally strangled by profiteering.

These days, the information coming through to us is dictated by their regard for what will spike viewer numbers. Let’s get real here. It is all about ratings and profits, and salacious stories always grab more attention than discussion of issues that have meaning to struggling voters