Journalism Laziness the new catch phrase for media failure

In an article written by Eric Lach for TPM MUCKRAKER titled “Obamacare Foe Sneaks Back Into Media As Just A Regular Guy”, Columbia Journalism Review’s Ryan Chittum coined a phrase that I believe defines many in America, even though it greatly fits our once accomplished reporters, journalists and commentators.  The article was about a man who appeared all over the media circuit claiming to only be just a regular businessman complaining about how Obamacare was damaging his business when in fact he had ties with the very organization “the Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), a conservative, pro-business group that, among other things, was a ferocious opponent of Obamacare. (The NFIB was part of the multi-state lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the health care law.)”.  In other words the cornerstone of real journalism, the need for full disclosure, was ignored by those trusted to bring us all the news without bias.  They failed and failed mightily which lead us to the coined phrase by Mr. Chittum who speculated that “journalistic laziness had something to do with it”.

The same can be said about the media handling of the entire Obamacare roll out from start to finish.  They were quick to bring to the microphone anyone and everyone who stood against it but none seemed even remotely interested in trying to dedicate the necessary time to find out what those in opposition to Obamacare planned to do to fix the major issues facing this nation.  Their only response was long after their initial slap in the face to anything that may prove positive as certain footnote which often said, “It should be made clear that they do not have a plan to fix the problem”.  This should have been one of the first questions put to those in opposition.  You make a negative person’s job so much easier when you give them time to state why they are against something but do not force them to say what they are for or offer any solution to the problem.  America depends on media to ask the questions that we would ask if possible yet they fail each and every time.  This probably would change if the American public had the right to fire those in these positions who cater instead of serve.  “Journalistic laziness” a description never so true should now be the tag line attached to any reporter, journalist or commentator who would rather garner viewership instead of the truth.  Congress calls for the head of those who may have anything to do with the Obamacare roll out but who calls for the heads of those who misreport, fail to report or flat out lies sitting in front of a camera or teleprompter?

This label of “journalistic laziness” can also be applied to those in congress who waste billions of dollars on hearings that even those who attend knows has no end instead of spending every waking moment and every dime trying to find answers to our growing joblessness numbers, veterans sufferings and the complete disregard for the “lesser of these” in our society.  You get these people on your show for a 2 minute interview and you spend the majority of that allowing them to rant and rave about why they are against something instead of coming on to present a solution.  Again I ask what your alternative to what we are debating is and again I get the same answer silence.