One of the consequences of aggressive Reich-wing patrols of the media has been a reluctance of most media outlets to challenge or dismiss conservative boilerplate for the nonsense it is. They have bent over backwards to be "fair" and given a false sense of legitimacy to the flat-earth nonsense coming out of the Right. The latter, of course, not content with intimidation and co-option, have founded their own toxic propaganda networks and press.

The MSM has no one to blame but themselves for this. They are, after all, corporations, mostly interested in attracting advertisers, not professional journalist loss leaders as they were in the Murrow/Cronkite era. They eschew controversy of any kind and prefer to offer infotainment and and advertorials, promote their own commercial programming and offer human interest pap instead of boring, scary news. And of course, there's the inevitable self-censorship of cowardly TV executives interested in ratings, not journalism. The takeover of broadcast news by media monopolies has led to no news at all, its a business now, it all sounds like Excess Hollywood and checkout line tabloids any more.

This is why the charges from the Right of a Left-wing broadcast media conspiracy are such utter bullshit. The news media may be composed of idiots and unprincipled businessmen, but there is nothing lefty about them. In fact, they want nothing to do with controversy of any sort, they might upset someone. They are all starting to sound like the pap we hear at six o'clock on the local affiliates.It's all about the proposed new stadium for the football team, the kitten in the tree rescued by firemen, and the inspiring story of the crippled GI running in the Special Olympics.

Of course, you don't have to go to the media for examples. Right wing patrols, self-censorship, and reactionary voodoo is not unknown right here in the Zone, either.