Living as Laura

Wednesday, July 15th 2009 I asked Chuck Todd, a White House press corp correspondent, Because Big Business and advertisers own TV, radio and newspapers, how can a truthful, conscientious journalist make it in this rating driven and business driven media? Does that question sound as though I am attacking him? I think not! Yet he seemed to take great offense to the question and turned it around on me. Stating that the idea that big business controls journalists is a myth, that if I want to be such a conscientious journalist than nothing will stop me from doing so. He continued to say that in fact having the big organizations would allow a journalist to cover more mediums and have a broader following than they would without big organizations. I admit I was somewhat shocked by his defensive manner but I wasn’t offended or intimidated even though he spoke and looked at me as though I was ignorant for have asking the question and for buying into the so called myth of business and advertisers having control. Were I able to have asked a follow up or state my opinion, than I would mentioned the bias of stations such as fox, cnn and msnbc. For MSNBC is widely known for being left wing as Fox is known for being strictly right wing. Did my question make him nervous? maybe not. Irritated, bothered? I think that’s a yes. Despite all of this I find him to be an extremely intelligent correspondent and could only hope to hold a position as he does. Thank you Mr. Todd