It sad, and imparts a feeling of hopelessness, to watch the news media speak of Helen Thomas.

[Stinky The Clown]

They all mention her comments about the Palestinians, of course.

They talk about her record as a pioneer for women journalists, how 10 presidents deferred to her. All the usual, pro-forma stuff one would expect from someone reading a pre-prepared obit from the news room's ready-files.

I would rather they all took inspiration from her. Asking the hard questions. Never backing away from the truth. Being tenacious in followup.

Helen Thomas may well be the very last real journalist, real *reporter*, real *working* newsman, any of us will ever know.

Thank you for your service, Ms. Thomas. Our society is well and truly diminished with your passing.

[PDJane]

1. I will miss her, as I miss Molly Ivins and others.

And yes, we are diminished. The people who should be there to take her place don't seem to be there.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. When the media reports that which its wealthy owners wants...when we are fed

what the various industry lobbyists tell us we can eat and scoff at science that may indicate possible harm, when it is decided which groups to dissuade voting by making it more difficult - and when we are continually bombarded with fear mongering....

land of the free? and let's not even get started on the other part.....

[PCIntern]

3. Excuse me...

the comments were not so much about the Palestinians but about the Jews needing to return to their homelands in Europe...you know...the homelands that attempted to ERADICATE them. Imagine a journalist in Israel stating that the descendants of Irish immigrants to the United States should return to Ireland. That would play real well here...Sheesh.

[uppityperson]

10. Are you seriously comparing what is going on in Israel with Irish immigrant descendants in USA?

Mind boggling.

[PCIntern]

17. No...

don't pick a fight where there isn't one. It is just as outrageous for her to tell those immigrants to go home as it would be to tell Americans to go "home".

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. Oh sure, because it's instant death to go to Germany in the 21st Century.

[PCIntern]

21. She said the "Jews should get the hell out of Palestine"

what world are YOU living in? About whom else would language like that be tolerated except Jews? It's par for the course, though, isn't it?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. Do you know the difference between Israel and Palestine?

[Triana]

5. Helen's words about what a journalist's job is...and how she saw hers:

"My goal is to seek the truth wherever it leads me. I think that's the role of journalists & that we have fallen down on the job" -Helen Thomas

THESE are the words the talking heads need to be repeating over and over both internally and externally today and every day...or they need to GET. OUT. of that field.

Period.

[cali]

6. oh baloney that she's the last real journalist. what was Michael Hastings?

What is Matt Taibbi?

Hyperbole. It's what Stinky is having for breakfast.

[deurbano]

7. I agree with you, but they are seen as more "alternative."

She was part of the mainstream for many years.

[Fuddnik]

9. Don't forget Amy Goodman!

[DirkGently]

8. KNR.

[valerief]

11. What news media? You mean the capitalist propaganda machine? nt

[libodem]

12. A talking head

Reading copy off of a telepromptor does not equal a journalist. You could animate a cartoon for that.

She may well be the last real journalist.

[xtraxritical]

13. A true liberal.

[madmax]

14. As always, excellent post Stinky. n/t

[Warpy]

15. She adhered to a higher standard than they did.

They didn't like that.

[Gus Lammas]

16. Give 'em Helen Heaven, Thomas! ;-)

[DFW]

18. The trouble is, all these things you see on TV are done by people who never knew her

They just drag up some archived clips and some articles, and voilà instant bio.

Canned like a two-person portion of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee ravioli, and just about as authentic.

At least they are trying. I can't expect that everyone knew her personally.

[azurnoir]

20. Thank you for posting

and I remember the reaction(s) here when Ms Thomas's 'interview' with Rabbi David Nesenoff made the 'news'

[rhett o rick]

23. I hope we will one day again see true journalists. nm