New Crowther Column

So much of the devolution of the American political debate/process that both ends of the political spectrum bemoan is a consequence of the lack of a responsible fourth estate to provide both comprehensive coverage and thoughtful analysis of the issues. I remember studying journalism in college with working newspapermen who adhered to some pretty lofty values with respect to their responsibility to the public. But sometime over the past thirty or so years, that commitment has eroded, and no where is that more evident than in the media properties of the Murdoch empire. Hal Crowther was of the same generation as my teachers (in fact, was a colleague for awhile of those who worked at the Buffalo News), and not too surprisingly resents the impact of Murdoch's corrosive influence, and explains it all here much more convincingly than I could.