Dearest A,
Sure, blame it on the press.
I agree wholeheartedly with your point, but there is something to be said for "neutral" and "objective" journalism. Once you abandon even the veneer of objectivity for more "truth-seeking" journalism, you're just as likely to end up with a Fox News as with an Air America.
Legal theorists have been obsessing about similar ideas for decades now. Which is more important -- ensuring a fair process or ensuring good outcomes?
Antonin Scalia and I can probably all agree on the basic tenets of a fair process in the legal system. But this fair process will often produce outcomes I don't like.
Alternatively, we can focus on achieving good outcomes, but Scalia and I have very different ideas on what a "good" outcome is. Who wins that battle? Conservatives have been doing a damned good job at prevailing in the war of ideas so far.
So, like I said, "neutral" journalism and process-focused legal theory are perhaps the best methods for achieving "truth" and "good." Because once you abandon the process in favor of the substance, might will usually make right.
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