Is this the Beginning of the End for Conservative Media

I must admit I am really growing weary of seeing the opinions of twentysomething journalists being presented on Fox News as if those opinions are authoritative. The reason they are there
has nothing to do with their command of the facts.

It is an unfortunate fact that most media, liberal and conservative, are trying to cut costs - especially newspapers. The content of much of what you hear and read today is produced either by high priced folks like Chris Matthews and Bill O'Reilly or by those who make their living by means other than writing i.e. scholars, former politicians etc. Some are authorities and write cogent and poignant pieces - all write for free.

Most of the rest is produced by callow sciolists who work for little money. You see many of them on Fox News and Townhall.com.

Very little news, presently, is reported by experienced, competent, talented writers and journalists. People who may not be experts about the topic, yet, have life experiences that can relate to it. These people have been replaced by the 20-somethings.

For example, Amanda Carpenter, who writes for the Washington Times and contributes to Fox News, I am sure is a good journalist. The problem is she is only about 25 years old.

Why would I want to hear or read her opinion about anything let alone complicated issues such as health reform? I seriously doubt she knows what its like to have to pay medical bills. I doubt if she knows how to navigate through the miasma of insurance terms such as co-pays, deductibles. comprehensive, preventative, pre-existing, routine, well baby, major medical, preferred provider etc.

So why place her on a panel like she does?

Isn't this what led to the demise of the liberal mainstream media? Several decades ago, the major newspapers hired inexperienced college kids to report about things to which they couldn't possibly relate?

About 30 years ago I read a column about the newspaper business written by an old pro. He was lamenting that when he started working for a newspaper, 30 years earlier, most of the reporters knew something about life. Many of them had served in the military during World War II and were married with responsibilites.

But as he reached the end of his career, the newspapers, he complained, were hiring college kids with no real world experience to report about things such as crime, racism, politics, war etc. They didn't know what they were writing about. They just wrote from the perspective they acquired from their professors who were liberal.

This led to the liberal mainstream media we know today.

Unfortunately, this now seems to be the trend in the conservative media.

The days of a guy like Limbaugh are over. Although not an expert in anything, he at least possesses some experience along with a quick wit and is very intelligent.

Besides he paid his dues.

Now we are getting recent college graduates who are given book contracts to write about major and complex political issues at the age of 22. These people are authoritative? We're supposed to buy this?

These people have not only not paid their dues - they haven't even joined the club yet.

Maybe there is a method to this madness. If you can figure it out let me know.