edward r murrow | Verse-afire

The Aspen Daily News Online reports that Dan Rather wants the president to appoint a commission to rescue the struggling profession of journalism, arguing that the very survival of American democracy is at stake. Dan Rather is not the only reason the MSM is struggling, but he sure helped push it over the cliff.

In days of old when journalists were bold

And readers were not particular

We got the facts and some attacks

Both flat and perpendicular

When Murrow spoke we did not choke

And wonder who had paid him

We knew it was the truth becuz

The living God had made him

The New York Times for just two dimes

Produced a Sunday paper

That told when bought what whole world thought

As well as latest caper

But Cronkite’s tears while stoking fears

And tearing down the pillars

Led other guys to claim GIs

Were hulking, brutal killers

This turned the tide of the free ride

Once owned by comp’ny presses

And made us wince and ever since

We’ve seen beneath their dresses

They’re in the tank and they can thank

Their plight on one another

As readers flee their company

And now they cry for mother

To give them aid for which they’ve paid

The Dems in largest measure

They cry the first amendment’s thirst

For justice is their treasure

So we don’t need the Prez to feed

Their cries for a commission

I say they should be gone for good

Consigned to hell’s perdition

Journalists and TV talking heads bemoan the seemingly bleak future of newspapers and the MSM in general, and increasingly worry that they might not live even in a shrunken state. Much thought is given to the idea that journalists should return to prior times, when journalism was a part time occupation. I don’t see this happening, but I do think newspapers and news magazines will return to a prior time when they were an unabashed mouthpiece of a political organization. Everyone knew where they stood, and their readers agreed with them or they didn’t read it. People who don’t agree with Fox News don’t watch it, and people who don’t agree with Keith Olbermann don’t watch him. Newspapers were not named the Whosis Democrat and the Whatsis Republican for nothing. In this transitional period most of the MSM has already achieved this prior status, and is the mouthpiece of the Democratic party and the liberal point of view. We have not yet seen the rise of an alternate and competitive MSM, but we will.

Ed Murrow sat in smoke filled booth

While Cronkite filled his pipe

They gave us what we thought was truth

Which we now know was tripe

We had forgotten that these guys

Were not the chosen few

But closet liberals in disguise

But then, what else is new

The New York Times was proud to claim

Their news was bias free

The DC Post’s one claim to fame

Is that they’re from DC

Between them both we got the word

They wanted us to hear

And once we heard we were a herd

And went where they would steer

But we’re a whole lot smarter now

We’ve seen through the charade

We’ve seen them work and we know how

They manage the parade

They’re going now, they’re leaving town

Good riddance to the lot

I only hope that while they’re down

We kick out all their snot

They’ve led us now to where we are

At liberal’s heaven’s door

The constitution no more bar

To things they hunger for

Like socialism for us all

And state run enterprise

But shortly we’ll hear freedom’s call

And much to their surprise

The people of the USA

Will say enough’s enough

You’ve had your run, you’ve made us pay

And now we call your bluff

We’re taking back our country now

The people we have spoken

We’ll put the pieces back somehow

And restore the land you’ve broken

Verse-afire

The Writings of Walter Erickson

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