It seems the whole world is falling apart. Watching the national news is a depressing experience, to say the least. Local, state and national governments are either gridlocked or in turmoil – or both. As one of my friends said the other day, “If you don’t follow the news on TV, in newspapers, on the Internet or any other medium, you are probably happy and think everything is fine and dandy.”

Well, here’s a news flash – everything is not fine and dandy. And the heart of the problem is that so many people – and potential voters – are apathetic and uninformed. That brings me to the local media. I don’t profess to be a great journalist, but I do strive to inform and be objective with the media vehicles available to me. At this stage in my life, I have no political agenda and no allegiance to any political party. I want what is best for our area, the state and the country.

Here’s an example. Last week, Bossier attorney Whit Graves held a press conference to announce that he is going to challenge incumbent Bossier-Webster District Attorney Schuyler Marvin. Two of the major local television stations – KTBS and KSLA – didn’t even bother to cover the event, which is big news in those two parishes. To its credit, KTAL was there. As I write this column, the two absentee television stations have still not informed its viewers of this significant race.

Mainstream media seems to love fluff. How that trend came to the forefront befuddles me. Oh, crime is still attractive to them, but when it comes to government actions and issues, which affect all of us, there seems to be little interest. A goodly portion of the local television news is a rehash of national news, which we have just seen on the national news. Perhaps that is part of the problem. The same voters keep electing the same people, not knowing whether they are doing a good or bad job because local media refuses to take on controversial local issues because it may offend an advertiser or hurt its viewership or circulation or get them in dutch with an elected official.

Therefore, a lot of people get their news from biased radio talking heads where there are few facts and truths spewed forth. A prime example here are the conservative radio talk shows that constantly bash Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who is the most valuable commodity Louisiana possesses in government today because of her committee positions and clout in the U.S. Senate. You won’t find any objectivity sneaking into their attempts to be clever and all-knowing. And I am always amazed by some of the letters to the editor from local business leaders who say Landrieu has to go. If they think a freshman senator can protect Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Polk, good luck with that.

When I write, I try and think about what I would like to know about the issue. I am often criticized, for example, for mentioning whether an elected official or candidate is a Democrat, Republican or No Party or whether he or she is black or white. I’m sorry, but in this still-prejudiced area of our state and country, an overwhelming majority of readers want to know that. And when a governing body votes on an issue, I want to know how every member voted. That seems a no-brainer to me, but more often than not, the media does not include that important information, only saying for example, the city council voted 4-3 on the legislation. The first thing I want to know is who voted “yes” and who voted “no.” As a member of the media, I can find that out, but most average citizens can’t or don’t know how.

Much of the local media seems to be a revolving door with reporters coming and going. Consequently, many of the reporters have little knowledge of our area’s history. The national media and our local media use so-called “political analysts” who have never been involved in government and really don’t have a clue how government really works, therefore their personal political preferences show through their comments. The end result is that the viewer, listener or reader is often misinformed.

Not to sound self-serving, but I have worked both sides of the street, which gives me a good perspective from the elected side and the media side. I personally don’t care about party affiliation, just give me someone who is qualified and not locked into political philosophy on the right or the left. It’s not easy to find that these days because both political parties have become so partisan. I respect and admire every one who has the courage to run for elected office because once you do, your whole life is an open book, and opponents will be doing everything possible to discredit you and your family.

If I sound discouraged and frustrated, I am. After being involved in politics for nearly five decades, I often wonder where have all the statesmen gone. The biggest concern of all is the influence money has on politics. It is just obscene how special interests have bought the government. But that is another topic for another day. I am depressed enough for now.