I Need an Additional Media Source

Just read Sean’s take on the post-election. Not sure why he wrote a humble title in an effort to not sound pompous, but then removed comments on that particular post. I reckon because he’s worried those who do not know him would utilize his site for a soapbox of debate he doesn’t want to deal with. Understandable.

We had a disscussion in class today about morals, ethics, and the whole “values” thang that exit polls supposedly showed that US voters cared most about. An answerable, rhetorical question was raised about how Bush espoused his beliefs, but did Kerry?

Because I wasn’t voting on values, I didn’t even pay attention to Kerry’s values, religion, etc. I was more concerned with his viewpoint towards where America should be in the view of the rest of the world, plans towards the war in Iraq, plans towards the war on terror, economy, healthcare, jobs, and gay marriage.

This is the 2nd time in a week that I’ve been hit by the naive bullet pretty hard.

I was led to believe by my media sources that Kerry would win. I was led to believe that the world was with USA Kerry voters. I was led to believe that the rest of America, for the most part, felt the same.

I akin my emotional moment to when Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Jim Carrey) found out that Finkle was a guy dressed up as a girl, and later proceeded to cry huddled and naked in the shower, and chewing massive amounts of gum because as a hetero, he accidentally kissed a guy.

I always thought people who said the “liberal controlled” media were going a little overboard. One such role model, my high school history teacher, actually lent and later let me have a Rush Limbaugh book. I listened to a few of his radio shows, and watched him a couple times on TV. I thought it was kind of weird. I mean, his attitude was totally different than what I was used to hearing, and a lot of his time was spent countering “false” opinions of other people/groups/organizations/etc.

I think I need something like that now.

If it’s one thing I learned from this election is that the media sources that I subscribe too are all controlled by those with Democract slants. This includes the Daily Show & CNN on TV, various blogs, various news websites, mainly CNN, and random radio programs. Not one had anything, that I can recall, positive to say about any candidates, nor showcased a broad spectrum of the public’s viewpoints. I will even go so far as to say I had a feeling from the “flash blogging community” that everyone was for Kerry. Maybe my glasses of perspective, tighted by my media sources, merely helped me focus in on only those types of comments. I feel kind of weird now seeing comments of Bush support pop up now on various blogs. I ask myself, “where the heck were those types of entries/comments before the election?”

I obviously am on limited aggregators, Republicans do not have interesting rhetoric, and/or they just don’t blog.

One classmate was disscussing some of the TV shows that have more of a Republican air, which was cool to hear; I just obviously have never known said channels were of that type.

In conclusion, I can see how the media definately has a slant overall , I don’t know many Republicans in my social circle (and if they’re there, they don’t speak their views openly often), and I need new sources for my news.

Granted, part of the blog reason is there are a ton of non-US blogs I read, and most are anti-Bush that I’ve read.

Two classmates indicated that it is my responsibility as a voter to do my own research. I countered that with it isn’t my responsibility. Granted, every other night Brandy would fill me on the latest lies and half truths a candidate had spouted, and we’d learn a little more about a topic to formulate our own opinion if it was fuzzy. But that took a considerable amount of time each night. I can see how people can make careers doing nothing but politics, even with slack fact checking. The amount of research, follow up, and renewed research that must be done to understand a variety of points is astounding. It’s no wonder political debates rage for a long time… the stuff changes as fast as technology, and no one person has 100% of the facts 100% correct.

Regardless, I shouldn’t be doing the above nightly. As grandparents who were journalists, I feel it is a journalist’s responsibility to write a story after tons of research, and site their sources. That’s why I have a blog instead of writing for some magazine or newspaper; research is friggin’ boring, and long! Imagine if I had to site everything I said in a blog entry. Screw that, dude.

…however, those in journalism should; it’s their job. Unfortunately, no one is holding them accountable, and therefore they don’t. I think that’s what my classmates were trying to convey to me was that I do need to do my own research because the press isn’t going to give it to me.

It’s sad, really. I think one of my character flaws is I don’t hold people to very high standards, except journalists and trashmen. Trashmen because when they don’t take my trash on Wednesdays, I wonder how God could bequeth to the world such a blithering idiot that is incapable of picking up trash that I set out upon a before-hand agreed upon date. How hard is it really? I mean really really?

Journalists, to me, do the work I don’t want to do. If I ever start a company, I’d hire a financial analyst because I know I don’t do that well, and that person does. It’s an effective team effort. I mean, dude, I have no legislation currently helping my professional career of programming aside from none at all. Journalists, however, have a constitutional right of freedom of press. Your backed by the f)(*$%ing constitution, people! WTF are you slacking for? Come on…

It’s hard enough that I have to work extra hard to not get outsourced, to be the top in my field to ensure I can work the way I want to, and continually ensure I’m marketable… now I have to the journalists job, now too?

Until the American public uphold our 2nd amendment, aim’s their gaks at biased, non-source citing news media, I’ll assume this additional job with dull dilligence, and duty.

Until the above is fixed, there has got to be someone out there who is Republican, likes Bush, and talks about why in an accessible outlet. Said person must have friends and/or peers and collegues who are professionals and have similiar media outlets. Must… find…