The Truth is not Newsworthy

David Postman has an intriguing entry on the evolution of (the image of) Patty Murray. This is fascinating in a disturbing way. Everything I read as well as a 2 hout flight with her, had led me to buy into the image of dim witted media creation.
Obviously the perception is now different. How did this happen? Is this evolved Senator Murray the real person? or has she assembled a staff that is creating this new person? The real point, I am afraid, is that our system is an utter failure at providing even such basic information as the intelligence of a public figure. Forest Gump would understand.
Still, during our airplane ride I did have ample opportunity to judge for myself. While Murray surely was not a dim bulb, she also did not strike me as being as bright as other pols I have met. My best guess is that she is not very bright BUT is an excellent organizer. Murry the team may be alot more valuable than Murray by herself. Or ... the new story is not true either.
Call me confused but this is terrible problem.WE are all now convinced that GWB is an idiot, certifiably so given his performance. How do we evaluate Obama Clinton et al?
To make matters worse, Faux news has taken the concept of a public medium to a new low. They routinely poison the well with biased reporting. It is all too easy to downplay fox as just silly, but their day-in-day-out propaganda has real effects. I would bet that the majority of Americans consider the NY Times and the Washington Post, to be left wing. LEFT WING?? If so where is the middle?
Some years ago I listened to an end of the year show by major correspondents. It was a presidential year and they talking heads were asking why some candidates get singled out for abuse while others' abuse is left undisclosed. The topic of Jesse jackson's dubious record came up. The well coiffed ones said that had not discussed jesses' sleazy activitites because the brown man was not a "real" candidate for President. So that loeaves their failure to dicuss Bush or Murray unexplained.
There is real need for a simple, truthful journalism.