No News is Good News

For the last few months, I've read very little news. The only reason this means anything is that for the previous 35 years I was a voracious reader of at least one newspaper a day, and often two or three. Part of this goes back to my days as a journalism major in college, when newspaper reading was required. And another part of it goes back to my parents, who faithfully read the newspaper every single day.

Maybe it's just my perception, but it seems that most of what passes for daily news these days is incessant nattering about very narrow and short-lived subjects. There is so little truly insightful and, more important, original reporting and analysis--at least it seems that way to me.

What I'm relying on is online daily headlines from several newspapers, mostly to be reassured that there has not been a catastrophe somewhere. Much more valuable than this is the time I spend with a handful of thinkers who bring a wealth of intelligence and perspective to things--Hendrick Hertzberg in The New Yorker, Frank Rich in The New York Times and Lewis Lapham in Harper's (sadly, he writes there only occasionally these days). The only TV personality who seems to be thinking originally, non-pompously and with great perspective is Rachel Maddow. When I tune in most others all I can hear the are the axes grinding, and the personal promotional machines going ka-ching!

Now that I've said all that, be sure to read Frank Rich's column this week. He casts a shining light on the resentment we hear expressed in the guise of "commentary" or even "reporting" these days. Think people like Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Rich brings to bear the long-term shift in the demographics of America, and how so many really don't like what they're seeing.