Egging Them On

Thanks, Jack Shafer. You had to go and pat TV news anchors and reporters on the back last week for dropping the pretense of objectivity and ripping every federal official in sight for the inadequacy of the hurricane response. Soon enough, other media critics (such as the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz) were on the bandwagon, praising reporters for finally letting their feelings show. Where exactly you guys got the idea that journalists--especially TV reporters--have heretofore been insufficiently opinionated and hostile, I don't know. I must be watching different cable networks than you. Like today, when--after a week of watching CNN reporters viciously attack any Bush administration official they could get their hands on--I had to endure CNN's Kyra Phillips viciously attacking House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for having the temerity to criticize the administration.