Izzy Stone, American Pioneer

As I sit in class, listening to politically pugnacious pundits like Glenn Beck and Keith Olberman, I must admit that I am saddened by the current state of journalism. Unfortunately today, real journalists doing real investigative, objective work are buried beneath cable news networks who pile mounds and mounds of "journalistic" garbage into American life. Cable news networks like Fox News and MSNBC are hurting America not only because they appeal to politically partisan viewers, but because they preach falsified "news" and pass it off as genuine journalism. These cable news talking heads - void of any political intelligence - do nothing but further polarize our already fractured nation.

Despite the miserable state of cable news, there is hope that true, independent-minded journalists still exist and affect the way people perceive the news. In the past, independent journalists such as George Seldes and Izzy Stone, through self-funded newsletters, were able to get their messages to the American public even though they faced tremendous opposition. In Izzy Stone's case, Stone himself served as chief writer, editor, publisher, typist, and every other position under the sun for his weekly newsletter.

What an amazing achievement it is to create one's own newsletter from the ground up and be honored for positively affecting the news media. That is exactly what Izzy Stone, upon receiving the Polk Award in 1971, was able to accomplish. I.F. Stone's Weekly brought an unbiased, professional attitude to journalism at a time when people still picked their words carefully to avoid being labeled a communist. To his credit, Stone never withheld his opinions, speaking and writing openly about government lies in regards to the McCarthy hearings and the Vietnam War. He was a champion of free speech during an era when saying anything un-American was grounds for government investigation into one's personal life.

With that said, current independent journalists have an obligation to the American people. These journalists, writing on the Internet to a limitless audience, must attack and expose the cable news pundits that are destroying America. These journalists must find a way to get their messages to the public in a fresh, easy to access, and visually striking way. News, and journalism for that matter, has switched from print to digital, and independent journalists must use the Internet to level out the unbalanced media playing field.

Izzy Stone is the ultimate example of the potential power independent journalists can have. He was a true American pioneer. Now the question is: Who will be the next Izzy Stone?