by Paul Schingle

Created on: January 24, 2009

What the role of the contemporary journalist is compared with what they do can often be very different. I was a big fan of Tim Russert and of "Meet the Press." And, to be completely honest, he was one of television's more objective journalists. But, to say he was completely objective would be a falsehood as well. To my mind, Tom Brokaw really isn't even in the same league as a Tim Russert. He may be able to come off objectively, but he really needs to learn to enunciate-especially for television. Then, you can turn the station over to Fox. With Bill O'Reilley as their forerunner, Fox is the furthest thing from objective.

Tim Russert ran a very good program when he was alive. Meet the Press was probably the best of the Sunday morning talk-panel shows. While he tried to be fair to all sides, he rather obviously had a slightly liberal bent. But, more obvious than his own personal slant was his love for politics, in general. He ate the stuff up with a spoon and it showed. Whether the latest person in the news was someone he agreed with or not, if it was a political figure, Tim Russert was all over the story. He loved American politics-regardless of opinions. He loved the game itself. I can relate to that. He was a joy to watch as a journalist. He will be, and already has been, missed.

I really do think Tom Brokaw tries to project an objective image. I still can't help but think he veers a little to the left. But, the most disturbing thing about Brokaw is, his inability to present the news clearly. I don't know if he has a formal speech deficit diagnosis, but he certainly does have a difficult time speaking clearly. It is most distracting. A journalist should be clear, if not objective. Perhaps Tom Brokaw should move to the writing end of things-just a suggestion.

Ah, but then there's the Fox network. Rupert Murdoch's own little representative of the conservative/Republican movement. To Fox's defense, they don't even try to pass themselves off as objective. They are openly the mouthpieces for the Republican party in America. And, with "leaders" like Bill O'Reilley at the forefront, they will always be openly conservative-openly pro-Republican. And, they make no apology for it. Even though I completely disagree with their politics, I say good for Fox-at least they're honest in their non-objectivity.

So, what is the role of the contemporary journalist. Well, in an ideal world, the journalist would present the news in an objective fashion. As cited above, this obviously doesn't always happen. So, if a journalist can't be objective, then he should at least try to present the news in an informative (if biased) and meaningful way. Journalists such as O'Reilley and Brokaw could take a page from Tim Russert's book.

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