Mainstream American media is failing mainstream America

By Dave Mesrey

Despite mountains of evidence illustrating its utter fucking insanity, Americans continue to publicly fund the construction of shiny new sports stadiums for the benefit of a few, all while our public school systems are in shambles, leading to an ever-ignorant public who cannot or will not recognize these stadium schemes for what they are. 

All the while, the state of American journalism is so sad that few well-trained journalists (RIP, copy editors) can even afford to work in their field anymore. 

The few well-paid journalists left, like WXYZ-TV Channel 7’s Carolyn Clifford (sorry to pick on you, Carolyn; my TV reception’s not so good, and I can't afford no stinkin' cable), are all too often reduced to the role of cheerleader. 

What Detroit's Channel 7 did tonight in prime time (an hour-long special gushing over the shiny new Pizzarena downtown) was a disservice to the viewing public and a disgrace to the fourth estate. 

At the very least, WXYZ should've displayed an onscreen graphic identifying it as a paid promotion. 

Instead, Clifford & Company acted as if the Ilitch family's sparkling corporate playpen would solve all the city's woes. 

America needs to find a way — and find it fast — to fund major, legitimate journalistic enterprises that truly serve the public good. And I'm not just talking about NPR and PBS.

Instead of continuing to set aside public funds for another wealthy businessman to build another fucking big top (bread! circuses! stadia!), maybe it's time to start earmarking public dollars to help support a truly independent mass media — professionally trained reporters who aren't beholden to their corporate overlords, free to inform and educate the public instead of merely entertaining them. 

As demonstrators marched in the streets of Detroit tonight outside the gilded gates of Little Caesars Arena to protest the headlining act and his (ahem) complicated relationship with the Confederate flag, Channel 7's Clifford displayed nary a clue as to why anyone anywhere would object to Kid Rock christening yet another field of schemes. 

Independent journalism is in its death throes, comrades. 

The question is: Can we can stop the bleeding before it's too late?