Congressmen take shots at newspaper industry
Washington Post political reporter Dana Milbank reports that several members of Congress delighted in criticizing the press during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday to study the decline of the newspaper industry.
Milbank writes that the hearing “quickly deteriorated into a press-bashing session. Ideologues of the left and right made no effort to conceal their yearning for a day without journalists, when public officials would no longer be scrutinized.”
A couple of the comments:
- “The newspaper industry is like the automobile industry: You don’t hear from them until they are on the verge of disaster. All of a sudden they need help. And they need a lot of help. And they need it now.”" — John Conyers, D-Michigan.
- “More than twice as many Americans say the news media are too liberal rather than too conservative.” — Lamar Smith, R-Texas.
Milbank reports:
The hearing was held after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested the need for an antitrust exemption to save papers in San Francisco, her home town. The biggest request for help at the hearing was from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s (publisher) Brian Tierney, who wanted protection for newspapers to talk about creating a national alternative to Craigslist.
Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
Milbank’s final line in the second paragraph should scare the crap out of any thinking person — either on the right or left. Politicians are chomping at the bit, knowing raping and pillaging is just around the corner.
Rohert - haven’t we already crossed that bridge? The media is so in the tank for this administration that we already can’t get fair reporting so even if they bail out the banks (as Kerry wants) and basically nationalize them, no one will be able to tell the difference. Journalists are already not acting like real non-partisan journalists. There is no more truth in reporting. The newspapers will be even more beholden to the left then and even if the GOP takes over (trust me, I know that will never happen, but just making a point), they will continue that alliance. Newspaper bent over backwards to report about the Bush Admin and Sarah Palin. If newspapers went under, it would be a moot point with the availability of the Internet where you can get all the real news you are willing to spend the time to find.