Why US News is Failing

This morning I got a strange call. Well, it didn't seem strange at first. My assistant told me that the media wanted to talk to me about the 2008 Presidential election. I was hungover from working till 6 am the night before (I don't drink or use drugs, so work is my drug of choice), but I agreed to talk to the network.

"Which is it? CNN, MSNBC, CBS?" I asked. I was wrong on all accounts. It was Al Jazeera, the infamous network that I have known from the global Arab community.

I admit that I have not really thought much about Al Jazeera (good or bad), a network that is known as the CNN of the Muslim world. To my surprise, they aren't just prominent in Muslim countries, but throughout all of Europe. I have normally associated them with the fact that they are the network that always gets the Osama Bin Laden tapes before anyone else. I also know that they are respected, professional and sharp in their commentary.

Also, unlike many American media outlets, they actually give news that is intelligent, meaningful and informative. In other words, no Paris Hilton, no Anna Nicole Smith, no Sean Hannity, and no Bill O'Reilly. Finally, it is ok to use your brain cells for something other than spin, lies and worthless arguments.

Now, this is not to diss CNN. I actually like their network a lot. Fox, on the other hand, is another story. I am glad that others, including Barack Obama, agree that the Fox News style of journalism is not only flawed, but quite poisonous to the American psyche. But it was nice to know that, through an international network, I could actually talk about the issues that matter, in ways that are most relevant to the common citizen.

That is what life is all about.

On a side note, I asked the producer about Osama Bin Laden. Someone sent me a disturbing video in which Benazir Bhutto casually mentions someone as "the man who killed Osama Bin Laden." How this passed over our mainstream media is beyond me, and this was one of those times where the conspiracy theorists might have a good point. Whenever there is this much money at stake in a war, someone is usually conspiring to keep their money (the same is even true for college basketball, as those who get wealthy from not paying the athletes conspire to continue their exploitation).


I was informed that while they did not have any inside information on Osama's whereabouts, most people believe that he is dead. He has been quite ill with a kidney ailment for a while, and was expected to die years ago.

One can't help but wonder why our media has not carefully investigated this possibility. I also wonder why this astonishing interview with Bhutto has not been more widely distributed.

Perhaps we were busy watching stories about Paris Hilton. Ignorance is quite contagious.