Alaska's Corrupt Television Bastards

They're probably no more corrupt than your average Joe Sixpack. What they probably are is a gaggle of rather young teevee journalists who got only a quick steep in the tea of of journalism ethics. (Sardonic comments on oxymorons are duly noted.)

Moreover, they cling bitterly to  that notion that drama is good for the ratings, and ratings are everything, so what's a little fomenting among friends? In the newspaper business it would be called something like reaching for a headline. "Miller Pulls a Rand, Stomps Defenseless Girl at Far Right Rally."

Good news rooms recognize the reporter's  lust  to be above the fold, or lead the Six O'clock News. They hire dictatorial editors (the only kind worth having)  to stomp down hard on the over-reaching field man.

We don't really know the full context of that telephone conversation about KTVA  helping instigate some skulduggery at a Miller rally, and perhaps it was partially or mostly  joking banter.  

Nevertheless, I do not criticize Ms. Palin's characterization. Plain language tends to bring important questions into sharper focus, and the media have their  full,  fair share of corrupt bastards.*  All that remains is the need to get our political celebrities to apply the term to, for instance,  about seven out of ten bureaucrats and politicians, teevee preachers, lobbyists, and mortgage brokers. 


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*Along with some sterling exceptions.