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July 13, 2009 I was watching "Tru TV (once known as Court TV) which a self-proclaimed "Legal Journalist" named Ashley Banfield is hosting.. During the airing of various trials and interviews with talking head lawyers, Ms. Banfield put forth the daily "13th Juror" question. This is a particular question regarding the case at hand directed at the audience for a response. At the end of the day the results of said question are published. Today's question was, "Do you believe that there should be a national moratorium on the death penalty?" A hot button question at the best of times, but one that I feel is very important when seeking justice through our legal system. I am for the death penalty in certain cases where certain circumstances exist and I am angry that many states (like California, my home state), fail to do what the public has mandated them to do. If a jury or judge decrees that an individual should be put to death for committing a heinous crime meeting the criteria set forth by the law then the death penalty should be exercised after all appeals are heard. Back to the day's question on Court TV. After asking the question Ms. Banfield reminded the audience of how many innocent people have been sent to death row and reminded everyone not to have a "knee-jerk" reaction when answering the question. It is my belief that reporters are there to report the news..not to influence the news or make the news. Obviously Ms. Banfield thinks that the audience is stupid and incapable of thinking or making a rational and intelligent decision concerning the subject that the question addresses. It was apparent that she attempted to sway the voting process by reminding everyone of what was obviously her personal opinion regarding this matter. Sadly, many viewers of shows like the one that Banfield is hosting are not only watching the various trials that are presented, but are also fans of the individuals who host the shows. Banfield probably has many fans who will vote a certain way because she told them too. Is this what a reporter is supposed to do? I think not. I have often referred to Hunter Thompson's wonderful description of what he referred to as "Gonzo Journalism". The following is an explanation of what "Gonzo Journalism" is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzo_journalism It appears as if there are more journalists who follow this method than those who simply report the facts as they unfold. Geraldo is a perfect example of this method and one of the reasons why I have lost respect for the media in general. MSNBC leans left in their coverage of news stories (politics in particular) and Fox leans right on the same subject. There are very few who actually sit in front of us and simply report the news without attempting to sway our views or more to the point....change our views of how we perceive a story. I for one, am tired of being treated like a vacuous idiot without the ability to form a rational and intelligent opinion on what is presented to me. Give me the straight facts and I will decide what I believe and what I don't. As a young child I watched news anchors and reporters actually report the news as it unfolded and other than making what was clearly labeled a commentary presentation on a given subject, they just reported the news. I often heard my parents discussing the evening news and forming various opinions of their own. I would like to have the same opportunity to form my own opinions without the constant biased commentary that is prevalent on almost every single media outlet. If it's a commentary then I will listen and consider what the reporter has to say...I will not automatically agree just because some bozo like Geraldo tells me that he is always right and I must take his all-knowing word for everything. His shouting and gesticulating does not influence me and as a matter of fact it tends to make me want to look for a totally opposite viewpoint than the one he expressed. Drama, drama, drama........where is the fair coverage of world events? Where is the "fair and balanced" approach that so many proclaim to be their method of reporting?
I don't believe that it exists anymore.
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