The Problem with Partisan Media

I know a committed conservative who believes the media should be openly, brazenly partisan. While I understand that "objective" journalism is impossible, I'm disturbed by the idea of a completely partisan media. I wouldn't be happy even if there was a liberal counterpart to Fox News. (And no, I don't consider CBS or any other major network to be Democratic equivalents to Fox, and conservatives who say so are deluding themselves.)

Reports of the chemical weapons plant at Najaf have reinforced my doubts. There may in fact be a chemical weapons plant in Najaf. Who knows? It would be foolish of me to argue one way or another. But I'm highly skeptical, and purely because Fox News and the Jerusalem Post broke the story. If the New York Times told us first, I would be much more inclined to believe it.

Yes, I know this is a sort of ad hominem reasoning, but I think my skepticism is justified. (At least in the case of Fox; I know the Jerusalem Post's editorial line, in a broad sense, but I don't know how that affects their reporting.) I just don't like being put in this position.

(no subject)

My laundrymat's TV was turned to a Greek station. The Greeks were upset to hear that the Turks had entered northern Iraq. So the anchorman interviewed a Turkish official (I didn't know his position), and the cool part was they interviewed each other in English, with Greek subtitles.

As Yogi Berra would say: Only in America!