Cleaning Up

The Changing Shape of the Fourth Estate

So, Bill O'Reilly is out at Fox News.  We have appreciated Fox News in general as an antidote to the anodyne Progressive pablum that is found just about everywhere else in the media spectrum in the US.  O'Reilly was part of the Fox lineup.

He was, however, at least to our taste, to be taken in small doses.  We quickly tired of his vainglorious boasting about his own show's attributes.  How "the spin stops here", and "we are always looking out for you".  After a while it was a case of "methinks he doth protest too much".  The Proverb says, "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."  [Proverbs 27:2]  The English have a similar proverb, albeit more laconic: "self praise is no recommendation".

There are plenty of Fox News shows and programmes which do not need (apparently) the brazen self-blown trumpet of Mr O'Reilly.  As to the allegations of misconduct, we are not in a position to be judge, jury, nor executioner.   But the old adage of where there is smoke there is fire appears a reasonable position in the circumstances..
 It seems to us that quality right-of-centre commentators and opinionistas are going to be hard to sustain in an entertainment business.  Entertainment and professional high-quality commentary and analysis do not easily mix.  

It's interesting that much of the higher quality content  is now being promoted, broadcast, and written in on-line publications.  For our money, National Review Online is the outstanding leader in the field.  We have followed it a long time.  Other sites which we read with interest are The Federalist and The American Conservative.  There are others.  When compared to the content found on O'Reilly, they are streets ahead--at least for our money.

The "other side" (that is, to the left of Donald Trump) does not need special mention insofar as it is dropped upon us like a MOAB from a great height, daily.  It is found everywhere: TV and radio news, newspapers, journals, and parliament.   We find ourselves reading National Review etc. for a daily dose of sanity, thoughtfulness, and humour.  It is a great antidote.  And we also read Breitbart, particularly BreitbartLondon to keep in touch with what is happening in Europe and the UK.  We also appreciate the regularly occurring Christian articles and content in Breitbart--and, indeed, in all three publications endorsed above.

Doubtless more mastheads and websites will emerge over time.  We will follow the evolution of Fox News with interest--as to whether it will be more Fox (infotainment, and less "news") or the reverse over time.  We hope it will be the latter, but fear forlornness may be our actual experience in the matter.