"If we confuse dissent with disloyalty -- if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox -- if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status. Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the ... confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."

Edward R. Murrow, from Wikiquote, written in 1953. Have we really advanced that much in journalism since then, despite the advances in media technology?

I wish we still had journos like this old philosopher from the last century. People who could keep presidents in check, people who could have thrown a few spears in the puff when we need it, especially - as is often too well known by people in power - truth is the first casualty of war.

Where - and who - are the journalists who can replace these old veterans? The thoughtful people who were more concerned with uncovering the truth than where their audience demographic swung?

Where are our effective idealists in the media today?

"Learn To Spell" is the name of my little World of Warcraft alt's guild on Aman'Thul server. Horde, natch. Guild master (me) is "Kreutzfeld". He's a Taurean, as you'd expect (Kreutzfeld-Jakob syndrome is commonly known as M _ _ C _ _ disease.)

"The dragons left when their food supply was tainted with intelligence" said Eve. "We offered them apricots but it wasn't the same."