I gave up on television news several years ago. The sensationalism of blood, violence, tabloid headlines and goofy investigative reports tuned me out, and I doubt I will ever return. Most of my news comes from The Albuquerque Tribune, the smaller of the two dailies in my town. I have a subscription to that paper instead of the more reputable Albuquerque Journal for the simple reason that it's cheaper. Getting the news isn't exactly a thrill for me as much as an obligation. It gives me an insight into the community, nation and world, and I take the stories with three grains of salt. With the Federal Communications Commission preparing to further deregulate its restrictions, my faith in the news will diminish to one grain of salt.

Although a hot topic on independent radio, The FCC vote was barely mentioned on the Op-Ed and back pages of my paper. There was no mention on local television news, Meet The Press or CNN on the Sunday before the vote. According to the major news sources, the vote isn't worth commenting, and that's exactly the problem with what is about to become the future of news reporting.

There has been a 28-year ban on one company or group owning newspapers and broadcast stations in the same market, and the FCC plans to abolish that prohibition. They are also expected to raise the percentage of TV stations one company can own from 35 to 45 percent of the US Market. Can you imagine what news would be like if Rupert Murdoch (the Australian owner of Fox) controlled two out of five news stations in America? His staunch right wing views skewed Fox News' coverage of the Iraq War to the point where it was a national joke to watch any of the channel's news reports.

With several companies owning news sources, there have been checks and balances of sorts for journalism. No one company had the power to manipulate the news too far in one direction or another. As the FCC lifts restraints, it is entirely conceivable to have an America where two companies own the overwhelming majority of news sources. Two companies. That's it. Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

In my town, this already occurs in the radio industry. Clear Channel owns about eight stations, and Citadel owns the other handful. I don't listen to any of them. For brief moments in my car, I'll listen to the independent college radio station, KUNM 89.9 FM, for the simple reason that my tape player is busted. The perk is that I never know what the station will play, and they rarely have commercials of any kind. The main reason I gave on regular radio was that they ran the most annoying and redundant commercials known to man.

That's what I'm afraid will happen to news sources in general. Companies are always concerned with the bottom line more the journalistic integrity. Instead of having four channels of smarmy newscasters in your town, we could have one source for every market. Same commercials, same news. Checks and balances goes right into the trash can. The television station and the newspapers could have the same boss. Homogenization at its most frightening.

I know it's 2003, but this reeks of an Orwellian scenario where all the news comes from a tube directly from The Party: We are at war with Eurasia, we have always been at war with Eurasia, we will always be at war with Eurasia.

What this really means to me is a further distrust for the press. Even the most established and trusted names in media (like say, I don't know, the New York Times) will always have an err of doubt. Radio has already failed me, television has failed me, and newspapers are riding a fine line. It's disturbing to think two rich white men could potentially and legally control almost all of the news sources. Who knows what politics, personal views and favors to friends could skew a story from the truth into personal propaganda.

You may think that this is a worst case scenario, making a mountain out of a mole hill, or just plain common man paranoia, but implore you to consider the ramifications of what the FCC is doing. If something is made legally possible, then there is a good chance that it will someday come true. Do you want to put all your trust into what a multi-billion dollar corporation thinks about the news? Do you think--

WE INTERRUPT THIS UNSANCTIONED COLUMN FOR THE FOLLOWING FOX NEWS UPDATE:

We are at war with Oceania. We have always been at war with Oceania. We will always be at war with Oceania.

Chris Jungle has heard the news.