That's my motto here, and don't you ever forget it. But, since just a few bloggers are having fun with the Fox/Franken act in the third ring of the Silly Season Circus, here's a somewhat serious comment:

We seem to be coming to the end of a relatively short period in (US) history where the major media outlets at least pretended to objectivity/neutrality. The newspapers of the 18th and 19th century were virulently partisan, and made no bones about it. The vestiges of those days live on in some of the surviving paper titles ('Press-Democrat') but if you really want to see it in full glory, spend an afternoon in an archive looking through issues of any 1840-90's paper.

I'm not sure where and how the nominal transition to objectivity happened. I'd guess it was some combination of the unifying (and censoring) effect of WWII on the media, and the advent of broadcast television with its big three networks that were supposed, by regulation, to be even handed. There's a big whiff of J-school hypocrisy professionalism in there, as well.

It's probably just time to admit that it's out the window. From the NYT to Fox, there's but a veneer of pretense left, which is looking more and more like a ridiculous fig leaf. Reality is that political stance in both editorial selection and content is being used as positioning within the media markets. With an increasing diversity of cable channels, print media, and even blogs contending for attention, point of view is used as a differentiator. After Fox News kicked CNN's ass in the ratings during GWII, this isn't going to change. "Fair and Balanced" (heh!) and "Most Trusted" (not after covering up for Saddam, you're not) only make sense as marketing slogans anyway. Don't be surprised as you see media conglomerates with 'product lines' to appeal to everyone from rightwing troglodytes to Indymedia barking moonbats, every one served up with political sanctimony (and consummate commercial cynicism). If you're looking for actual 'pure plays', you're in the right medium already.
3:06:58 PM    

So he is going off to sit on a beach Florida, which has lower taxes is 'vibrant', to develop real estate, which is apparently the new-new thing for the 21st century. The rest of us will have to get along somehow.

Via VentureBlog, where Naval has his own choice comments.
2:51:47 PM