It's Christmas -- Time to reflect on what our news media used to be like

[PSPS]

From back in the day when a news organization's primary goal was to inform, with bureaus everywhere around the world. Today there are almost no foreign bureaus and, instead, we get pre-packaged infotainment, opinion and freak show nuts.

[Tx4obama]

1. Lots of beards and mustaches :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone

[SunSeeker]

2. Yes, I remember that. It made me want to be a journalist as a kid.

A foreign correspondent to be exact. But by the time I was in college choosing majors, it was plainly evident that job was no longer a realistic option. I saw the waves of layoffs, including a man I knew who worked for Time as a foreign correspondent, and I realized if good, experienced journalists couldn't get jobs, a newbie fresh out of college had no hope.

And you pretty much summed up what passes for "news" these days, especially on Fox: pre-packaged infotainment, opinion and freak show nuts.

[L0oniX]

3. ...and what DU used to be like.

[JDPriestly]

4. Ou sont les neiges d'antan?

Dictes moy où, n’en quel pays,
Est Flora, la belle Romaine ;
Archipiada, ne Thaïs,
Qui fut sa cousine germaine ;
Echo, parlant quand bruyt on maine
Dessus rivière ou sus estan,
Qui beauté eut trop plus qu’humaine ?
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan !

Où est la très sage Heloïs,
Pour qui fut chastré et puis moyne
Pierre Esbaillart à Sainct-Denys ?
Pour son amour eut cest essoyne.
Semblablement, où est la royne
Qui commanda que Buridan
Fust jetté en ung sac en Seine ?
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan !

La royne Blanche comme ung lys,
Qui chantoit à voix de sereine ;
Berthe au grand pied, Bietris, Allys ;
Harembourges, qui tint le Mayne,
Et Jehanne, la bonne Lorraine,
Qu’Anglois bruslèrent à Rouen ;
Où sont-ilz, Vierge souveraine ?…
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan !

Prince, n’enquerrez de sepmaine
Où elles sont, ne de cest an,
Qu’à ce refrain ne vous remaine :
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan ?

(François Villon, Le Grand Testament1, texte provenant de l’édition préparée par La Monnoye, 18732.)

Where are they now? All these beautiful people who used to bring us the news?

Not that the news was complete and perfect even then, but I wonder who reports and how many people report for CBS from, say, the Philippines today?

Dan Rather is great. Thanks for posting this memory.

[MrMickeysMom]

5. Hey... 1986, eh?

Seems to mark when they stopped appreciating the working class. Everyone was pretty happy putting on "the news".

[ProudProgressiveNow]

6. K&R nt