FEATURED QUESTION: The Media

When I watch the news, particularly the national news on any channel, I get the distinct impression that the anchors of these shows merely move from one story another as they follow a script and keep an eye on the clock. Are these anchors showing laudable impartiality, pretended impartiality, or hardened indifference?
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In my own observations, the pundits are little different. They have more of an apparent agenda — left, right, or center — than the news anchors, of course, and often present on-the-air editorials as they pick and choose evidence to prove their theses. Still, in spite of bursts of passion, I again get the impression that these talking heads are quite disinterested in the material they present as they move fluidly from one story to another.

In a recent comment here at Always On Watch, days before I polished this posting, my friend Z summed up some of what I've been pondering about the media:

I keep watching the cable venues and seeing REALLY important discussions that last between commercials, then big smiles "Thanks for coming on!" "You're welcome!" And it's like THEY FORGOT the severity of the problems they're discussing like SOCIALISM IN AMERICA? An American PRESIDENT bowing so exaggeratedly to a muslim KING? Mentioning ONE WORLD ORDER and MAN OF THE WORLD just a few too many times...? IMPORTANT issues..then "thanks, Bill!" "you're welcome, I was HAPPY to BE HERE!"

Do you feel a disconnect, of whatever sort, with the media? If so, does such a disconnect result from an underlying purpose or cause, or is it merely reflective of a sort of attention disorder?