Un-FAIR study, sorta

Media Matters posted excerpts from a new study by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) today. FAIR accuses PBS' NewsHour of falling "far short of its mandate to "give voice to those 'who would otherwise go unheard' and help viewers to 'see America whole, in all its diversity.'" Their bottom line: NewsHour guest lists skew white, male, Republican, and corporate.

I won't quibble with FAIR's basic findings, which are probably, mostly correct. (To be fair, I should note that FAIR lists to port politically, as does Media Matters.) But an old dictum by Winston Churchill sprung to mind as I tweeted about it earlier. During a House of Commons speech in November1947, Churchill quipped, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

Yes, the NewsHour bears guilt for not diversifying its guest list fast enough. And that's bad, except for all those other forms of cable news shows out there, as Churchill might say.

FAIR is right to hold news outlets accountable. Lord knows it needs doing. But I'd like to see more examination of cable "news" train wrecks like Fox & Friends, Hardball, O'Reilly, Countdown, Morning Joe – and the other usual suspects who regularly invite talking heads as guests. The NewsHour (whose staff is far better diversified than most) at least is trying to produce good, objective journalism. All the others, in contrast, seem mindlessly hell-bent on wrecking our democracy.