Modern Journalism

It seems that there is a lady in the front row of Presidential press conferences that Bush refuses to call on. Her name is Helen Thomas, and she's been covering Presidents since Kennedy. It turns out that at one time she was a real journalist; covering news and Presidential-related events. Now, however, she is a modern journalist. Modern journalism, especially in the political arena, does not involve an attempt at objectivity or explanation. Rather, modern journalists are more interested in telling the story that "needs to be told" and acting as a "check on governmental power." This modern journalism is not journalism at all - it is political activism.

What were the questions that Bush avoided by not calling on Helen Thomas?

"I wanted to ask about Iraq: 'You said you didn't go in for oil or for Israel or for WMDs. so why did you go in?' "

"You keep saying it's a 1978 law [FISA], but the Constitution is 200 years old. Is that out of date, too?"

It seems that you are out of date, Mrs. Thomas.

I thought to myself as I read this that I knew her name from somewhere. Oh, yes! I remember now!

She's the one who called Dick Cheney a liar and told a friend that she would kill herself if he was ever elected President. Of course, she told this friend in confidence and was upset that he passed it on to the media. Ironic, isn't it? A woman who has now devoted herself to telling stories that "need to be told" condemns the exposure of her disturbing bias.