Live, From CNN in Atlanta, it's…Reason?
Media thinker Jay Rosen, who Tim Cavanaugh recently described in these pages as the man perpetratin' "the most flexible, biting and truthful work of media criticism being done today," has issued a memo on "What CNN Should Do With Itself in Prime-Time." It's a pretty good list of five proposed shows, including "Fact Check," and "Thunder on the Right. A news show hosted by an extremely well informed, free-thinking and rational liberal that mostly covers the conservative movement and Republican coalition… and where the majority of the guests (but not all) are right leaning. The television equivalent of the reporting Dave Wiegel does."
Regardless of what you think of Rosen's proposals, we can all agree that this one's ace:
11 pm.: Liberty or death: World's first news program from a libertarian perspective, with all the unpredictablity and mix-it-up moxie that libertarians at their best provide. Co-produced with Reason magazine.
I'd hit that!
Of course, there are some galdarned libertarian news programs on the telly, including Stossel (who is often mis-labeled as a conservative), Andrew Napolitano's Freedom Watch With the Judge, and Red Eye W/ Greg Gutfeld, all of which feature copious Reason representatage. You also see some decidedly Reason-flavored material on cartoon kiddie shows now and then.
But if there's a through-line in Rosen's disparate ideas, it's something that fits snugly into our worldview: We don't accept your premise. What if the question is wrong, and the answer absolutely positively cannot be found using Donna Brazile or Bill Kristol? Translating that concept on television, with an eye toward verification rather than uni-directional proselytizing or conspiracy, might be something worth watching. Then again … do you people even watch any news or commentary shows? If so, please list in the comments. If not, please design the news program of your (non-sexual) dreams.
