Official information released when they don't want you to read it

The scathing report on our elected representatives not reading or heeding the National Intelligence Evaluation of the potential disaster of the Iraqi war no matter what the president said was released on a Friday.

I posted the story here on a Monday, knowing that weekday news is always considered a little more significant, because after all, "nothing happens on the weekend," right?

Friday is when we normally think of going away for the weekend, or partying or meeting with friends and family or just hanging out.

We don't think of significant news breaking, unless it's a weather crisis, but that's exactly when "news" is released that those in charge of the release don't want it read by all that many people. They want to say they've released the important information, but it's not their fault if you're not aware of it or if you didn't read it.

I've asked so many people I've met (who don't know about or read my blog) about the NIE report and to a person, they were not aware of it. They went home to do their homework, however, because they cared.

Interestingly, the most watched local TV news program is usually Sunday night because everyone's home, getting ready for the week and sitting around the television set together.

But local TV newsrooms ordinarily have skeleton crews on over the weekend because their sense is that "nothing's going on." Heck, CNN, MSNBC and other cable news station seem to reflect that same sensibility. To which I say, "huh?"

Well, yeah. Most government and business offices are closed - you know, the ones that that spoon feed the media most of the news they carry, for sure. But the issues don't go away; problems don't subside, malfeasance and stories worth an investigation or a little extra air time don't take the weekend off.

Um, in fact, wouldn't that be the best time to present a feature, in-depth story that there's no time to air during the week?

TV stations may point to generally lower ratings on Fridays and Saturdays, sure - but my hunch is that if there were a real kick-ass news program, people would watch. Like, lots of people. As it is, if it bleeds it leads or the news reported is just the stuff that falls in front of them like truck and car crashes, fires, shootings, vandalism, etc.

Yes it's "news," but those things can be reported by media of record such as newspapers, leaving television to dig in and get their hands dirty looking at everything from organized crime to corporate fraud to real news. Like, say, a politician who is actually working on behalf of us voters and who is getting something done!

In fact, 60 Minutes counted on the idea that they could get a huge audience of people interested in more complex and in-depth stories for decades. News stories that covered subjects the audience had never heard of before!

And for much, if not most of that time? That program drew more viewers than any other program on television. Rated #1, week after week.

While it's still highly rated, I'm sorry to say I feel as if it's lost most of its fire in the belly urgency to kick a tires and take names and bring significant matters to our attention.

I only know real news - information we should know and knowledge we should have instead of meaningless "information" - is going on all the time and I would much rather see it instead of all the white noise that is reported.

It's just a matter of being aware of where it's happening and how it affects us, that it needs to be reported and making certain staff reporters are there to cover it instead of another shooting, car crash, fire, and other news that is only news because there happens to be a picture to show.

Interestingly, there are a number of ways news organizations now invite you to tell them what's going on because they don't know. Proof of that is local news ratings across the board and across the US are universally as low as they've ever been.

I hope people take advantage of that opportunity because their priorities may not be yours, so we need to let them know. I'll never forget hearing about a story that took the nation by storm three days after it occurred because the reporters initially hearing about it were too young to remember its initial event, so they didn't understand its significance. If a 40 year-old producer for ABC hadn't been there, we still would not have known about it.

Younger staffs are less experienced and knowledgeable, yes, but they're also way cheaper. And today is definitely the day of news according to the bottom line.

As for news those in power want to have certain important news get by us ... be on the lookout for significant stories that are released Friday or over the weekend in hopes they will either be overlooked by media or that stations won't have the weekend staff to investigate them or whether they are reported in such a way that their importance will be neither understood nor perceived by media's already ill-informed American audiences.

What this means is that you can't expect to be spoon fed real knowledge by the commercial or "public" media, you have to be willing to seek it out. It is out there, you just need to be responsible for finding it - or at least letting media know what's going on so others can discover it as well.

Deadlines

When I worked more than full time as a mainstream media journalist in TV, radio and newspapers, my life was all about deadlines.

I would think far ahead to make the most of my available story gathering-writing-editing time before the deadline.

I was constantly thinking hours, days, weeks and even months ahead of the present time - especially for television news - to make certain I would be able to have all the elements of a story lined up, contact the right sources, get enough - and the correct - background information, shoot the right visuals, and so on.

Not for just one story, but several that I would be covering in the future.

In addition to doing the larger stories over a period of time, there were those on which I would report during the day. When, again, I would think ahead: I'd write and edit the story in my head before I was back at the station so I could barrel through, getting it done properly (sometimes my stories were a little visually/audio complex) with narration voiced, in time to build it in the program.

When I worked at combined TV/radio stations, I'd also file stories for the radio station.

I always enjoyed doing the lead story for TV newscasts, but of course that means the story has to be done *before* everyone else's stories get on the air! Which means I had less time to get it all together.

I *loved* my work, to be sure. I feel that pure journalism is a true and honorable calling.

But ... The management of news operations (commercial and non-commercial) drove me batty, so I left. Every time I took a job in radio or TV news, I felt like I lost IQ points. I can't afford to lose any, let alone many.

The same time line pressure of deadlines is true for newspapers, which also have their own serious management problems.

When I left journalism, the energy change was so great, my legs felt wobbly - as if I had been on a small boat for a long time and stepped onto land. I had to regain my land legs and start to think in real time. That took many months - and I couldn't help but note all the stories and information I found missing in newscasts--

But I digress.

While deadlines exist for every aspect of our lives - from anniversaries to graduation to taking tests to making dinner - it's as important, perhaps even more so, to think in real time and not create faux deadlines.

Old school Hollywood and lots of actors actually believe that if you haven't "made it" by the time you're 21, you are TOO OLD! I described a very talented actress to a long-established talent agent in Hollywood. He was very interested. Until I told him she was 27. "That's ancient here," he responded.

Well, guess what?

Another talent agent told me that the demand for *older* actors (30-60) was greater than the younger age category these days.

You are where you are. You are the age you are. If you're good - or better yet, great? You'll get work.

In short, while I love to live in the moment, making the most of every day? I don't see myself on some sort of living deadline, because face it - I could get whacked by a car any moment, and never see it coming.

It's all about that balance thing. What makes for your most fulfilling life? Go for it, and do it in a way that brings happiness to you and yours as you take the journey.

It is always, in all ways, the journey that matters and what will be remembered most fondly, not the destination. Reaching a goal only means the beginning of another journey.

CBS radio fires Imus

Don Imus is now without employment.

He's been fired by both his employers - CBS radio network and MSNBC-TV cable network.

I worked in radio and television. And people who work in those industries are fired *all the time.*

People who usually only guess how to make money for station owners are put in decision-making positions. They seem to feel free to fiddle with employees' lives in an attempt to find the new big thing to attract advertising dollars.

Media sales people are always trying to convince advertisers why they should spend money on their station, personality, music format, etc., whether or not it ever pays off for the advertiser.

Radio and TV folks can be canned for no other reason than the manager wants his/her pal to take the spot. Or the station management changes. Or the format changes. Or the program director is jealous of the news director/morning anchor who gets more attention than she does at parties. Seriously. Been there, done that, even when ratings were climbing.

The audience isn't given a second thought - nor are co-workers who may try to fight to keep the employee because they're good at what they do *and* the ratings are climbing.

Both screamed loudly and were definitely heard this time.

In addition to extraordinary anger expressed by his audience, the outrage of MSNBC employees is actually credited with Imus' ousting there.

I have to wonder why his co-workers and fellow broadcasters (who understand and are quite sensitive to how much it hurts for anyone to lose such a job) appeared to have so little respect or appreciation for this guy. If they did, he'd probably still be there because they would have fought for him. Instead they demanded his termination.

CBS surprised me because radio is known more for allowing more controversial, shockjocks and outrageous hosts, but apparently he went too far even for them. And what he said about the Rutgers women is not as bad as other racist and sexist comments he has made over the years.

I believe the deeper issue and our outrage don't have as much to do with Imus' comments - as odious as they were - as much as an overwhelming sense that hit the core of US sensibilities:

we are (FINALLY) fed up with people who have power abusing it.

We are tired of the cartels, governments and oil companies abusing us; charging more than $3.00/USD a gallon for gasoline.

We're tired of reading the death count daily of Americans, our allies and innocent Iraqi's being killed in a senseless war.

We're tired of "leaders" who are incapable of leading us, but only exploit us.

We're tired of a president and government who don't listen to us when we tell them specifically and directly invading Iraq was a mistake.

We're tired of "leaders" incapable of figuring out how to bring our troops home safely.

We're tired of "leaders" neglecting the institutions and cutting the staffs that care for our valiant men and women in uniform when they come back mutilated, wounded, and suffering mental problems that any normal person would after witnessing what they have.

We're tired of "leaders" who can't seem to figure out how to get us from point A to point B without being trapped in traffic congestion, but who continue to tax us to supposedly take care of these problems.

We're tired of listening to so many people pay lip service to erradicating racism and sexism while powerful people of all colors and genders in the entertainment industry - music, TV, radio, magazines, and the internet - demonstrate bigotry daily.

We're tired of the hate speeches from "leaders" who want only to manipulate us by calling us "unAmerican" or "betraying the troops" if we say we want them brought home soon - alive and well.

After making our desires clearly known in the last election, after being lied to and hurt over and over again by powerful people in business, religion, health care and government who abuse their power and only continue to ignore us?

We're tired of media who went from being the president's abused lap dog to suddenly realizing that he has been lying to us all along; that features "news talk shows" only featuring biased people who want media attention more than they do to find or tell the truth.

We are left now with few ways to express our outrage, our demand for justice, our need to be heard, in a loud and meaningful way.

Yep, we are effing fed up.

Don Imus just got in the way.