Just the facts, please

Twitter and all it entails has reached such a fever pitch of overexposure that I feel sick just writing its name.

I fear that if I keep typing that combination of letters, my fingers will suffer from extremely acute carpal tunnel syndrome.

Nevertheless, there are important matters that must be touched on.

For my own mental sanity, I’m going to refer to that site-that-shall-not-be-named as “My Old Step-Uncle”.

I have to keep apologizing for My Old Step-Uncle. We get along fine when we’re with family members who understand him and his eccentricities. We get in trouble, however, when he goes out in public. People don’t appreciate the good he’s capable of; they only notice him when he urinates against Chuck E. Cheese (give me some room to work with this analogy).

In a flimsy grasp to reach the hipper generations, mainstream news networks have chosen My Old Step-Uncle as the best way to focus their news. Instead of reporting facts and information, they kick it over to My Old Step-Uncle to give his limited perspective on the subject.

The Indiana Daily Student has The Jordan River Forum, a wonderful place for readers to see what crazy things people are complaining about.

If you’re reading our newspaper online, look! You can scroll down and see comments.
I’m sure there are some insightful thoughts there. Perhaps someone claiming they posted first, or a subtly racist remark. Isn’t it wonderful, the voice of our people?

I can’t blame the average Joe who wants to send Anderson Cooper a text about how silly the new celebrity gossip story is.

People enjoy telling others their opinion. Notice this column, for example.

The fault lies with newscasters and their superiors calling the shots. They need to practice restraint from temptations of vanity.

Larry King now has a My Old Step-Uncle – something about that doesn’t sit well with me.

Talking heads seem to have this initiative to be every viewer’s trusted friend, to be the next Edward R. Murrow.

This vanity has bled into reporting styles. Bill O’Reilly asks “Who’s looking out for you?”

Bill is.

Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow tag-team their nightly duty of commenting on news events.

Anchors on CNN will often say, “Tell me what you think.”

We already have enough problems keeping networks from being biased politically; it is now becoming compounded further by individual journalists.

It might be a bit old-fashioned, but journalists need to view their jobs as a public service.

In a few months, my peers in the Ernie Pyle building will start nailing down jobs in this supposed real world.

I beseech those of you who will be our direct line to the government and national events: you can’t be friends with your subjects. I don’t care if Obama’s people make a wonderful Denver Omelet at the press breakfasts; your job is to be a conduit for facts.

Win your way into our hearts by giving us the news. If we’re interested in your opinion, we’ll go to the appropriate section of the newspaper or pick up your book.