Thank you, "Guest," for your extremely informative posts.

Other than the professional political spinmeisters, TV journalists seem to be the worst (though there are notable exceptions). Print journalists have more space to work with and can provide important background and details. Once they reach the national level, they've usually had enough experience to know something about their subject.

TV reporters, however, are almost always forced to simplify, exaggerate, and to some extent cry wolf just to keep viewers from switching channels. We've all noticed the unnaturally urgent tone that TV correspondents adopt to report on almost anything. When Prince Harry acts like a (big) dope in public, this appears on American TV with dramatic music and a full screen saying "FOX NEWS ALERT!" or "CNN BREAKING NEWS!" - exactly the same as when a roadside bomb kills a GI in Iraq, the president announces a cabinet nomination, or a tsunami kills 150,000 people.

Old stuff, but worth repeating.