"Gerbilism" describes the state of today's news media

excerpt:"ately, I've been thinking about that long-ago school paper, and I've decided "gerbilism" is a pretty good word for what's been going on in the news media these days. Gerbilism is an apt term for something that's soft and warm and cuddly, safe and timid, with no sharp teeth and no bite whatsoever. Gerbilism, I've decided, is partly responsible for a lot of our nation's problems today.

I feel lucky to have attended a school that taught journalism with a capital "J" and still does today. In the sixties, when I was in Allen Hall, the brilliant John Hulteng was my advisor and dean of the school, the members of the faculty were like rock stars to me -- every bit as influential to me as Jim Morrison, John Lennon and Janis Joplin. (Well, let's not get carried away. They weren't THAT influential. But they were great, nonetheless.)