Why the Mainstream Media Is Becoming Irrelevant

There's a reason why the mainstream media (ABC, CBS, CNN, NY Times, Washington Post, etc.) has been steadily losing its audience over the past several decades. To many readers, it's become obvious that they haven't got a clue. When evil stares at them in the face--whether it's Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Idi Amin, or Osama Bin Laden and their ilk--today's Western reporter refuses to pass judgment on these unapologetic mass murderers.

Recently, Barbara Demick from the Los Angeles Times submitted a puff piece on the evil nation that is North Korea. The title of the article, "North Korea: Without the Rancor" should tell you all you need to know about Ms. Demick's fawning interview of a North Korean intelligence agent and "his side of the story".

Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt challenged Ms.Demick's article, and sent her several questions along with a request for an interview. Her responses typify what is wrong with today's mainstream reporter.

Q: Do you think Kim Jong Il is an evil man?
A: We reported last summer that Kim Jong Il spent millions importing gourmet foods, cookbooks and chefs for himself while his countrymen were starving. One can judge from there.

Q: Do you think Kim Jong Il and his government are responsible for the famine of the '90s.
A: Yes

Q: How many people does your research tell you died in the famine?
A: Up to 2 million, about 10 percent of the population

Q: Did Kim Jong Il and his government obstruct international relief efforts during the famine?
A: Yes

I am sickened and frightened that people who have the power today to decide what most people see as "news" don't have either the common sense or the moral outrage to see Kim Jong Il for what he really is. Demick's wimpy answer ("One can judge from here") shows us how far the mainstream media has slipped into irrelevance. If a reporter cannot take a "right vs. wrong" stand on a dictator that has starved to death at least 10% of the population and driven hundreds of thousands into China (of all places!) to seek freedom, then surely this individual needs to have his or her head examined.