There’s been a good discussion in the comments in the post below about the “liberal” bias of the SD press, at least on the editorial pages. Bob Ellis, Doug Wiken, Greg Belfrage, and others have weighed in with some excellent comments presented in a very thoughtful manner.
But one comment from a “John” I thought was particularly insightful and trenchant:
Don’t ya’ just long for the days when a local newspaper editor exercised the social responsibility inherent in the Fourth Estate to present balanced commentary on social and political issues?
In light of all evidence to the contrary Bob holds on to his demogagary - he is a True Believer, as described in Ike’s favorite book, True Believers, by Eric Hoffer. The right wing demogagary of the media is traced in The Republican Noise Machine, by David Brock. It is quite the modern spectacle how the right wing can plant Judith Meyer as a faux reporter into the New York Times to amplify their lies, all the while using faux aghast that the paper is liberal to its core so should not be trusted. Or have O’Reilly or Limbaugh in the main stream media and at the same time pretend the media is liberally biased. One should also find it troublesome that our state’s universities’ journalism departments sheepishly concede their Fourth Estate moral obligation to call out the faults inherent in current practices by the South Dakota media - afterall, is not that what tenure is largely about, having the academic freedom to address social ills.
Well said, John.
Top: Cartoon by Scott Ehrisman.