Sexy news? Not such a bad idea.

As a writer steeped in my field, I am often affronted by the reality of journalism today. I used to take umbridge with the term "biased media." Anyone with an ounce of training knows that journalism is about reporting facts and my bias, or lack thereof, should not be present. If the media is reporting the facts, where is the bias?

Then it became the "left-wing or liberal media." Of course, it's logical to assume we only report the opinion that matters -- ours. That may happen on the stations that Rupert Murdoch owns, but shouldn't everywhere else. ... Oh wait, he owns everything. Nevermind.

I used to defend the media. I did my best. But I eventually joined the clamor. The media stinks. They report on shit. They look for sensational instead of intelligent and insightful. I learn more from blogs like Instapundit than NBC or ABC.

The fact is that the information exists. It's readily available. But you have to go looking for it. And it seems that the mainstream media refuses to recognize what the people really want to hear or read, and it's not really about how Angelina Jolie doesn't bond with her biological daughter, Shiloh.

I recently article in the Atlantic Monthly that had an interesting take on the old news format. The author argues that the old reign of print media is dying -- which we all knew -- but media in general should start paying attention to what actually interests the reader and not just their advertisers.

The real value now lies in non-commodifiable virtues like deep reporting, strong narrative, distinct point of view, and sharp analysis, which even in the blogger era (or especially in the blogger era) is available only piecemeal.

The article suggested that if media could stimulate the pleasure center of the brain, then it would be much more successful and well-received.

So reading something that turns you on is more fun? Damn. I wish I had thought of that!