I find that, these days, my expectations concerning the Associated Press have sunk to an all time low. A few bylines I skip altogether, since I know that the story will be a disjointed regurgitation of a White House talking points memo – presumably thrown together in the hopes that a job will be offered at Fox News.
But I am most aggravated by stories like this one. There are actually several interesting subjects touched on. Lot’s of Canadian’s detest our President and have taken to the streets protesting. And, the President is hinting that Canadian beef will soon flow more freely back into the US.
Yet, you can learn nothing of substance from the article. Gosh, once again the President claimed Papal infallibility – and smirked about it. This is so novel, that it should lead the article and be the headline. Once that is clear, make sure people know that Canadians are polite. And, drum roll please, finish by explaining that a beef embargo hurts beef producers…
How about a real look into the actual safety risks and the politics driving the current restrictions? In an era where we are terrorist obsessed, shouldn’t the eroding safety of our food supply warrant a couple of lines?
Wouldn’t it make sense to discuss what is being protested instead of how politiely the protestors are behaving?
Frankly, I do not know where they find enough idiots in the world to give Fox News 24 hours of on air talent. So, I do not expect news service fodder to be Pulitzer worthy, but is journalism truly dead?
-jjf