At the Democratic National Convention last week in Denver, Dan Rather spoke to an audience about how mainstream media companies have compromised journalistic integrity by prioritizing stockholders before public interests.

Dan Rather has covered the news since 1956, and he should therefore have a tremendous amount of our respect for his service to our country. He was the first to report the John F. Kennedy assassination. He covered the Watergate scandal.

But he says that today, media corporations aren’t looking out for their reporters and anchors in the same way they were in the 1970s. They pander to the administration and to their stakeholders. That’s why I don’t watch or read much mainstream news anymore.

It’s why much of the time, the only “news” that I can tolerate are shows like Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. While they’re not exactly journalists, comedians have a beautiful way of asking the questions that need to be asked and pointing the spotlight right on the absurdities of our society. They make me care about the world around me, and yet I can still sort of laugh at how silly life is and I can still sleep at night.

It’s amazing how one way or another, I still pick up all the most important headlines. Even though I don’t “follow” the news, I still see the coverage of the Russian-Georgian conflict. I still heard Barack Obama’s presidential nomination speech. And much of the time, even though I shun the mainstream news, I still feel much more informed than most of my peers! I guess I pick up a lot from conversation, and from what people find important enough to republish online. But, you have to realize that the news that gets reported on television is frequently propaganda or marketing, and the rest of the time they’re only telling you half of the story. You’ve gotta research for yourself.

Rather’s message to the members of today’s media:
…make it something that cannot be ignored—not by the political parties, not by our candidates, not by the owners and executives of media companies. Write these people. Call these people. Send the message that you know your rights. You know that you are entitled to news media as diverse and varied as the American people, and that you deserve a press that provides the raw material of democracy—the good information that Americans need to be full participants in our government of, by, and for the people. …And most of all, show them with your example what a truly independent press looks like, because your country needs you now more than ever.
So what’s the solution? How do we stay informed about the world around us, but get the full story? How do we ensure that voters get all the unbiased information they need to make good decisions at the polls? What do you do to keep up with the news?