The fifth estate
A different conversation yesterday sparked this post. This one as well wasn't so patently offensive as the comments that inspired yesterday's rant. I'm in Laughlin's talking about nothing as usual when the subject of books were brought up. Steven Colbert of the Colbert Report just released I am American, and So Can You which I'm sure is the same sort of parody of the right wing that his show is. One of Kristen's more republican friends was talking about how much he liked Colbert. Which led us to two possibilities:

1) He knows it's a joke but is one of those people that can laugh at their own party.
2) He doesn't know, which would be kind of hard to believe given the over-the-top nature that Colbert portrays himself.

A conversation ensued and the topic turned to people that get their news from the Daily Show and why that is sad. I began to disagree with that sentiment because at least someone is watching the news and secondly, the show is only really funny if you know the news first then hear the commentary on it. Then I discussed a third point, which was that news interviews presently often treat their guests with kid gloves compared to how it should be.

What is the role of the press? When the President of Iran was in town he was interviewed by 60 Minutes and was asked about his training militants and supplying them with missles and rockets (Hezbollah). Mahmoud Ahmadinejad replied by saying how Bush attacked Iraq (because the two countries had previously been friends) and evaded the question. Response from interviewer? A trite statement and then moved on to something else. This is what passes for an interview these days? Ahmadinehad to his credit successfully turned against Wallace and told him that "this is not journalism," and for once I agree.

At least Stewart and Colbert don't let their interview subjects get away with such things. Colbert had on the author of a book on the Zionist lobby to which the author was trying to say that book was merely an explanation and not a criticism. Colbert called him out on it. Isn't that supposed to be the way that it works? The press should be the voice of those that have no voice not a business making decision.

Granted no one is an altruist but if you are going to do something right you should at least piss off one of your guests once in awhile. They are supposed to be asking the tough questions not be thankful to interview someone.