When pundits, anchors, and "journalists" became millionaires

[AVID]

What happens to their point of view when they enter that upper 2% tax bracket?

It would be nice to see an anchor's salary/endorsement info as a tag line under their names each night as they practice their journalistic craft.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I'm not sure it's so much the money...

but their self-importance gets inflated.

Some of them seem to think that they, and their opinions, are more important than the story.

It's a celebrity thing.

[Mad As Hell]

2. I also think that access, etc. is important.

There is a clear history of journalists who buck the Republican party line finding their jobs at risk. They can barely even report THIS fact without getting in trouble. This is changing a little bit now but until it becomes a clear landslide for Kerry, this factor is still important.
This is a result of media consolidation and corporate control driving the agenda together with the WH's stifling of dissent by the press.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. So President John Kerry will get good treatment from the Press in...

return for some access then?

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Access is extremely important...

at all levels.

Write an expose of the local police department and see if you ever get a look at the blotter again, to say nothing of another exclusive.

Reporters' lifeblood is access to key sources they have worked with for years and if they dry up, they are out of business.

I remember both Ed Koch and King Rudy banned certain reporters from City Hall. Made a stink, it did, but nothing could be done. King Rudy was particularly testy about the press, and it was always touch and go to get something out of him that wasn't a PR puff, and everyone had to toe the line for access, little as there was.

Very similar to how the White House is operating now.

[soupkitchen]

3. they become "vested" journalists

They're vested in the status quo.

[MrPrax]

6. Speaking of Millionaire Reporters...

Whatever happened to the story about the dead bodies found at Sam Donaldson's huge ranch?

Oh yeah...most of those highly paid 'journalists' are not really journalists...they are promoted and sold as 'celebrities'.

The Media Convergence/Oligarchy needs high profile 'figureheads' to simply flog their 'logo' branding. There isn't a lot of things for a real trained journalist to do in the modern Media machine anyway