on the demise of journalism, news reporting…
“Newspapers, TV, radio, and websites everywhere were furiously consolidating into mega-media conglomerates. News was heading in a fresh direction … The owners and top execs saw their compensation rocket, and top television anchors in each market signed guaranteed contracts in the upper six figures. Everyone else was told these were rough times. To save the companies from bankruptcy, they would have to absorb salary cuts, take unpaid furloughs, and work harder.” p124
“Oh, but it gets better … News outlets used to be acquired by other media companies, or someone with at least a whiff of journalism background. Now the buying was done by venture capitalists, land consortiums, commodity traders, and petrochemical distributors. ” p125
“… the company’s new mission statement hung proudly atop the front wall:
‘To enhance our community’s aggregate through multi-platform metrics of media synergy catalyzing integrated outcomes of macro-disciplines toward inclusive methodology paradigms generating positive algorithms of unwavering commitment to our children, the flag, and God.’
