Compiled By Matthew Koza

December 6

WILD HOLIDAY PARTY

The Prospect Park Zoo, 450 Flatbush Avenue, throws a Wild Holiday Party with Presents to the Animals on Saturday and Sunday, December 6-7. Hamadryas baboons, red pandas and other animals unwrap presents to find holiday treats during the December weekends. For further information call (718) 399-7339.

CHRISTMAS FLEA MARKET

St. James Lutheran Church, 2776 Gerritsen Avenue, has a Christmas Flea Market on Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All types of gifts, merchandise and refreshments. Table space $30. For further information and space reservations call Frank at (718) 743-1589.

ST. NICHOLAS DAY

The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, 5816 Clarendon Road, celebrates St. Nicholas Day on Saturday, December 6 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Greet St. Nick and his companion, Black Piet, as they arrive on horseback. The Museum is New York’s oldest house, and the festivities include colonial music, holiday crafts and traditional treats. For further information call (718) 629-5400.

LARA VAPNYAR

The Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, presents Russian-American author Lara Vapnyar on Saturday, December 6 at 4 p.m. Her books include Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love, There Are Jews in My House and Memoirs of a Muse. Part of the series “Cosmopolis: Immigrant Writers in New York,” hosted by WNYC Radio’s Leonard Lopate. The reading is held at the library’s Dweck Center. For further information call (718) 230-2100.

CANDLELIGHT TOURS

The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, 5816 Clarendon Road, offers candlelight tours on Saturday and Sunday, December 6-7 at 4:30 p.m. Explore New York’s oldest home after the sun sets and learn how people “brightened their lives in the dark winter nights before electricity.” This tour is not recommended for small children. For further information and reservations call (718) 629-5400.

FIRST SATURDAYS

The Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, has its First Saturdays program on December 6 from 5 to 11 p.m. This month’s theme is “Love Your World!” Free admission, free films, music and activities. For further information call (718) 638-5000.

December 7

DEFENSIVE DRIVING

The NYS-approved Defensive Driving Course is offered at the Marine Park Jewish Center, 3311 Avenue S, on Sunday, December 7 at 9:30 a.m. 10% insurance premium reduction and possible removal of four points from driving record. For further information and reservations call (718) 891-3776.

HAROLD LLOYD

The Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, presents Harold Lloyd’s silent feature comedy The Freshman on Sunday, December 7 at 1:30 p.m. The screening is held at the library’s Dweck Center, part of the Silent Film Series. For further information call (718) 230-2100.

DUO CANTABILE

Music from Good Shepherd, the 13^th Annual Sunday Evening Concert Series, presents the voice and guitar duet Duo Cantabile on December 7 at 6 p.m. Good Shepherd Church is located on Avenue S and Brown Street. Free admission, voluntary donations for the performers are accepted. For further information call (718) 998-2800.

METROPOLITAN KLEZMER

Temple Sholom, 2075 East 68^th Street, presents the Metropolitan Klezmer Group on Sunday, December 7 at 7 p.m. The program also features Temple Sholom’s Young Children’s Choir, directed by Cantor Steve Shor. Donation for reserved seats is $20, or become a sponsor for $36, which includes first row seating. For further information call (718) 251-0370.  PHOTO ABOVE: www.metropolitanklezmer.com 

December 9

IRWIN PFEFFER

The Manor Midwood Branch of the National Council of Jewish Women celebrates Israel’s 60^th. Join them for a Wonderful Afternoon with Irwin Pfeffer at East Midwood Jewish Center, 1625 Ocean Avenue, on Tuesday, December 9 at 11:30 a.m. The “Master of the Positive” gives a presentation on “How to Bring Our Relationships to a Very Special Place.” Free Raffle, Merchandise Mart. For further information call (718) 376-8164.

MAN ON WIRE

Philippe Petit, the high-wire artist who walked between the Twin Towers in 1974, appears at the Borders – Wall Street Store, 100 Broadway, Manhattan, on Tuesday, December 9 at 1 p.m. Petit is the subject of the documentary film Man on Wire, and he will sign copies of the newly-released DVD. For further information call (212) 964-1988.

December 10

MAGNET INFORMATION SESSION

The New York City Department of Education hosts a Magnet Information Session on Wednesday, December 10 at 415 89^th Street, 4^th floor conference room. Magnet programs provide “choice in educational opportunities for children.” Hours are 9 to 10:30 a.m., 2 to 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Light refreshments served. For further information call (718) 759-4977.

December 13

CHRISTMAS IN THE CARIBBEAN

The Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts presents Christmas in the Caribbean with the University Singers on Sunday, December 13 at 8 p.m. Jamaica’s cultural ambassadors return with a program of classic choral works, negro spirituals, jazz, gospel and original music composed by Caribbean writers. The concert takes place in Whitman Hall on the Brooklyn College campus, 2900 Bedford Avenue. For further information call (718) 951-4500.

December 14

ZIMRO PROJECT

Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series presents Alexander Fiterstein & Friends on Sunday, December 14 at 4 p.m. “The Zimro Project” is an ensemble that incorporates Jewish art music into chamber music programs. It is inspired by the Zimro Ensemble, which was active almost a century ago in St. Petersburg. The free concert is held at the Dweck Center of the Brooklyn Central Library, Grand Army Plaza. For further information call (718) 230-2100. 

The city is right not to allow every blogger access to a press pass issued by the police department. Because a blogger is not a journalist. Nor is my cousin who smears lipstick on a sheet of paper an artist.

The First Amendment allows for the freedom of the press. That does that mean, in our view, everyone who has a computer is “the press.” One of the goals of the first amendment is to assure that there is no license required to write and spread news. And that is true. Most newspapers utilize freelancers who do not own these coveted press passes.

The difference between true journalists and bloggers is accountability. Most bloggers do not have editors and adhere to few, if any, standards. (I can just feel bloggers turning on their computers set to attack the View.)

Here’s our philosophy on journalism.

1-    More than one person must edit a story. At the Brooklyn View, for example, every story is read by at least two editors before it appears in our print edition or on our blog, thebrooklynview.wordpress.com. This assures that, at the very minimum, a writer is held accountable to names and sources he has in an article. His credibility on the line with each by-line.

2-    Press Credentials are often not needed to perform good work. Most writers for the Brooklyn View are freelancers and they do not have press passes. At crime scenes and accidents, they are often pitted with fellow reporters donning press passes from other news outlets. Based on years of reporting, press passes do not offer you an all access pass to a scene.

3-    Most people seek passes, not to get to the bottom of a crime, rather to get access to a concert or lounge opening.

4-    There are some blogs worth reading. For example, this editorial was inspired by a blog posting, on Sheepsheadbites.com. These blogs often do solid work, but there are a lot of angry blogs that are backed by political hopefuls.

The bottom line is the age of the blog makes gaining access to news stories easier than ever. But it also makes getting professionally edited and stylistic pieces harder than ever. Do not give a blogger a press pass.

It was good news to learn that the Gerristen Beach Volunteer Fire Department would be able to operate another year after obtaining the necessary funding from the city.

The department, the only of its kind in south Brooklyn, has served the community well for years and should not be the casualty of the shaky economy.

While some critics argue that the firehouse on Gerritsen Avenue and Avenue U is close enough to reach the beach with a reasonable response time, those in the community know better. Having this firehouse shut down would be a travesty for the community.

We would like to salute all the elected officials who worked diligently to make sure the firehouse remain in operation.

The proposed fare hikes envisioned by the MTA along with the severe cuts in bus and subway service are a slap in the face of hardworking New Yorkers. This is nothing more than a con game being perpetrated by a board composed of political appointees who have little if any acquaintance with the day to day workings of the system and who understand how important the system is to the economic lifeblood of the city.

The MTA will never make a profit; government subsidized transit is not designed to do that. It is designed to provide a means of getting around a large city for large numbers of people who have a legitimate need for alternatives to traveling by car.

But the MTA’s problems are the result of poor management, overgenerous union wages and benefits, poor planning, and cost overruns on many projects designed to “improve” the functioning of the system. Raising the fare to three dollars will have a terrible impact on those who are already struggling with the onerous cost of living in the city.

Cutting service might be justifiable on some lines that have modest ridership or are duplicated by other lines.

But the crux of the MTA’s problems over the past generation have to do with poor management an the inability to get labor costs under control. If the authority is serious about asking the public to make sacrifices in the midst of economic distress it ought to be willing to ask its executives to do the same and to reopen union negotiations with the TWU and bring the costs of employee benefits, salaries and pensions under control.

Until the MTA purges its own house of corruption and incompetence, it willingness to impose undue burdens on the riding public is an exercise in arrogance and self centerdness.

The Municipal Art Society of New York has been working with the city’s economic advisors and other planning advocacy groups to try to develop plans that will help it reclaim its stature as a world-class entertainment destination. Some of the plans presented at a Nov. 17 meeting looked like they were something out of a Sci-Fi movie.

We applaud these plans, but consider them an exercise in art and futility.

As a local paper, we are grounded in the realities of Coney Island, ranging from the lack of job opportunities and no pulse during the colder months in the city. One needs to take a stroll along Mermaid Avenue to see the ghost town the area becomes in the winter. Realistically, improved rides and flashing lights will not put paychecks into residents’ pockets.

If the city wants to do justice for the south Brooklyn enclave, it should consider year-round attractions—we would love to see casinos and hotels. Coney Island is a 45-minute train ride to Midtown—close, but not that close.

We need a Coney Island that is finally someplace you wouldn’t mind finding yourself in November or July.

Welcome news that traffic lights are coming to Oriental Boulevard has been offset by the news of this week’s tragic deaths of two pedestrians struck down on Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay.  We call upon the City of New York to honor the memories of these and other recent traffic victims by installing more traffic safety control devices now.

The arcane and costly means by which traffic lights are meted out by the New York City Department of Transportation have been a source of agony to Brooklyn for years.  In the meantime, long stretches of major thoroughfares like Kings Highway, Nostrand Avenue, and Avenue S remain without adequate traffic control devices that can help prevent future tragedies.

Traffic lights are by no means the only solution to avoiding accidents on Brooklyn’s streets.  More four-way stop signs, speed bumps, or deeply grooved pavement can also help reduce risk of pedestrian fatalities.  In our sister borough, pedestrian deaths along Queens Boulevard have been substantially reduced due to an initiative placed into effect by former Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall that included speed enforcement to catch reckless drivers and safety rails to discourage pedestrians from crossing in dangerous sections of the boulevard between intersections. 

Yet, the most impregnable barrier to traffic deaths remains the well-timed, consecutively spaced traditional traffic light at every major intersection.  These long range investments in municipal safety are the obligation of City Hall.

We will be watching this election year to see how well the City’s leadership is carrying out its responsibility in this area.

By Fred Friedman

Governor Paterson has continued to sound the alarm about the states’ parlous fiscal condition and urging legislators to make the unpleasant but necessary choices about putting New York’s fiscal state back in working order.

Since the financial meltdown in September, the states’ financial condition has worsened appreciably. More than 40,000 jobs have been eliminated on Wall Street and several banks have announced massive layoffs. Already added on to the collapse of Bear Stearns and the takeover of Lehman Brothers, New York faces its greatest financial crisis since the bankruptcy of 1975.

In which the federal government had to bail out the state, attaching strong and painful oversight of the state’s finances by an independent financial control board. The governor has emphasized the need to cut spending and minimize the possibility of raising taxes on an already fragile economy.

The challenge is to get the state legislature to go along with him and put their parochial interests aside in favor of the larger public interest of balancing the budget while maintaining essential social services such as police, fire, and sanitation protection.

The MTA has already announced plans to lay off 15,000 employees, shutting token booths, deferring maintenance and raising the fare from $2 to $2.50 for a single ride. The police department is also hiring fewer new recruits as is the fire department. The governor is expressing interest in eliminating Saturday library service and putting tolls on several bridges that are currently accessible for free.

Closing hospitals that are losing money while serving a declining local population has also been proposed. These are also necessary first steps but the larger problem of New York’s rickety financial structure is a permanent culture of spending and special interest pork barrel politics that prevails no matter which party is in power. Special interest groups are heavy contributors to political campaigns in both Parties.

The unions in particular are not only a great stumbling block to education reform; they are resistant to any cuts in the education budget even though newspaper stories have documented the waste and fraud that prevails at the Board Of Education as well as the paying of salaries to teachers who have been temporarily relieved of their duties due to incompetence or misconduct.

The entire culture of spending that has characterized legislative politics in New York for the past fifty years has to be repudiated and replaced by a culture of transparency and due regard for the larger public interest.

This would require the governor to renegotiate all union contracts and bring the compensation of all public employees into balance with the state’s ability to pay. It would also mean increasing the retirement age for some city employees in non-hazardous positions as well as asking these employees to contribute more to their health and retirement plans.

November 21

CHRISTMAS FAIR

Our Lady of Grace Church, 430 Avenue W, has their annual Christmas Fair on Friday, November 21 from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Large selection of giftware, diversified vendors, food, raffles, digital photos with Santa Claus and fun for all ages. Interested vendors and those who need further information should call the rectory at (718) 627-2020. During Christmas Fair hours call (718) 339-9554.

November 22

CRAFT SHOW

The Salt Marsh Alliance Annual Weekend Craft Show is held at Marine Park on Saturday and Sunday, November 22-23. For further information call Ellen Hoyt of the SMA at (718) 338-7281.

ICKY FESTIVAL

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, celebrates the scientific discipline of “grossology” during their Icky Festival on Saturday and Sunday, November 22-23 at from 12 to 6 p.m. Workshops and presentations on garbage, slime, hissing cockroaches, snakes…well, you get the idea. For further information call the museum at (718) 735-4400.

ST LUKE’S CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

The St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble plays at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, on Saturday, November 22 at 2 p.m. “Reel Music” includes chamber pieces written by prominent film composers, including Britten, Herrmann, Ibert and Vaughan Williams. A “Making the Connection” talk follows, linking the music to the museum’s art. For further information call (212) 594-6100.

CATCH 22

The Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, presents the Aquila Theatre Company on Saturday, November 22 at 4 p.m. The event has something to do with the Company’s production of Catch 22, a stage adaptation of Joseph Heller’s classic novel. The event is held at the library’s Dweck Center. For further information call (718) 230-2100.

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

The Regina Opera Company presents a fully staged production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor on Saturdays, November 22 and 29 at 7 p.m. and Sundays, November 23 and 30 at 3 p.m. It is held at Regina Hall, 65^th Street and 12^th Avenue. Presented in Italian with English super-titles and full orchestra. For further information call (718) 232-3555.

November 23

WILD FOOD TOUR

Naturalist/author “Wildman” Steve Brill leads a Wild Food and Ecology tour of Prospect Park on Sunday, November 23. “Hunt for Wild American Persimmons” begins at 11:45 a.m. and meets at the Grand Army Plaza entrance. Discover the park’s edible and medicinal wild plants and mushrooms. For further information and reservations call (914) 835-2153.

HOLIDAY BAKING

The Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, presents Melissa Murphy, chef and co-owner of Sweet Melissa Patisserie, on Sunday, November 23 at 1:30 p.m. She is the author of The Sweet Melissa Baking Book and numerous magazine articles. The event is held at the library’s Dweck Center. For further information call (718) 230-2100.

DITMAS PARK TOUR

The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment sponsors a tour of Ditmas Park with Francis Morrone on Sunday, November 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. Explore the beautiful Victorian houses of the Ditmas Park Historic District, which originated as planned suburb along the BRT Brighton Line. Meet at Cortelyou Road and East 16^th Street. For further information and registration call Ruth Edebohls at (718) 788-8500, ext. 217.

BPL CHAMBER PLAYERS

The Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, presents Classic Interludes: BPL Chamber Players on Sunday, November 23 at 4 p.m. Trio Solisti members Maria Bachmann and Jon Klibonoff and clarinetist Alan Kay play a spectrum of musical styles. The concert is held at the library’s Dweck Center. For further information call (718) 230-2100.

THOMAS PIERCY

Music from Good Shepherd, the 13^th Annual Sunday Evening Concert Series, presents clarinetist Thomas Piercy on November 23 at 6 p.m. Good Shepherd Church is located on Avenue S and Brown Street. Free admission, voluntary donations for the performers are accepted. For further information call (718) 998-2800.

November 24

CONTROL BACK PAIN

Beth Israel Medical Center-Kings Highway Division, 3201 Kings Highway, invites you to a program with Mark Galperin, MD on Monday, November 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dr. Galperin, a specialist in interventional pain management, will discuss how seniors can get relief from back pain. The event is free, and organized by Beth Israel’s Geriatric Support and Outreach Services. Advance registration is required. Light Kosher refreshments served. For further information and registration call Mary Pickering, LMSW, at (718) 951-3065.

General Announcements

GRAPHIC DESIGN WORKSHOP

The Midwood Development Corporation offers free classes in T-shirt design for individuals with developmental disabilities. Participants learn to draw and develop their own wearable works of art. The program runs on Saturdays from October 11 to June 27, with classes held at MDC’s office, 2394 Nostrand Avenue. MDC also offers free evening recreational programs for Brooklyn residents with developmental disabilities at PS 197 on Thursday evenings. For further information contact Julian Akins at (646) 257-4811.

PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

There is a free ongoing Photo Class for active adults at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, Ave U, in Marine Park. Regular classes are Thursday mornings from 10:30-12:00. Contact bfischer1031@yahoo.com

SENIOR CENTER

Young Israel Senior Center, 1694 Ocean Avenue (corner Avenue L), is open Monday through Friday for seniors ages 60 and over. Activities include: Glatt Kosher meals, computers, exercise, painting, tai-chi, bingo and trips. For further information call (718) 253-7800, ext. 101.

YOGA CLASSES FOR SENIORS

Breast cancer survivors are invited to Water Exercise Classes every Monday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. through December 28. They are held at Dodge YMCA, 225 Atlantic Avenue. For further information and reservations call the Women’s Health Department at (718) 875-1190.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The Hebrew Educational Society, 9502 Seaview Avenue, invites those who have been diagnosed, affected or are confronting cancer to join their group “You Are Not Alone.” It meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. For further information call (718) 241-3000.

FEARS, ANXIETIES AND DEPRESSION

Recovery Inc. Self-Help Community Mental Health Organization is offering free weekly group meetings throughout the NYC Area for all who suffer from fears, anger management problems, panics, post-partum depression, eating and obsessive compulsive disorders and other related mental health issues.  For more information call (718) 241-2220 or check out our website at: www.recovery-inc.org.

MIDWOOD ACTIVE ADULTS

The Midwood Active Adult Program, 4815 Avenue I, welcomes all, age 60 plus, to join them every Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Their vast array of activities includes their chartered “Red Hat Ladies,” fitness classes, healthy cooking workshops and creative drama, which promote “Healthy Aging” and includes monthly health screenings. Exciting day trips also available. For further information call (718) 253-5557.  

YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!

The adoption agency You Gotta Believe! meets Wednesdays at 6 p.m. They are looking for families interested in adopting teens and pre-teens. The meetings are held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2801 West 8^th Street. For further information call (718) 372-3003.

UNITED CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

The United Circle of Friends, an organization for young adults ages 17-35 with learning and/or social disabilities, is seeking new members. For further information call (718) 763-8452.

SAFE HOMES PROJECT

The Park Slope Safe Homes Project provides counseling, support, shelter and advocacy to victims of domestic violence. They serve all areas and all services are free in English and Spanish. For further information call (718) 499-2151.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION

The Alzheimer’s Association of New York City offers free support groups for adults who are caring for a relative with Alzheimer’s disease. There are various groups throughout Brooklyn. Spouses in Sheepshead Bay: contact Tobi Abramson at (516) 484-3188. Spouses in Sheepshead Bay (Russian- and English-speaking): contact Luba Voskoboynik at (718) 375-3377. Caregivers near Downstate Medical Center: contact Lorna Walcott-Brown at (718) 287-4806. Spouses in Sheepshead Bay: contact Henni Fisher at (718) 646-7001. Caregivers in Brighton Beach: contact Jack Pollock at (212) 721-3537. Caregivers in Park Slope area: contact Joan Griffith Vega at (718) 788-3468. Adult children in Sheepshead Bay: contact Sophie Finkelman at (718) 646-2973. Adult children in Sheepshead Bay: contact Alice Curry at (718) 375-3377.

With the narrow majority Republicans hold in the state senate, it is more imperative than ever for New York State to survive as a state that has a viable and thriving two party system.

A two party system helps to keep both parties honest and allows voters true and meaningful choices that make elections more than a pyrrhic exercise in choosing the lesser of the two evils.

Democratic life is nourished and sustained by honest disagreement regarding the larger purposes of government and the impact that different policies have on the citizens of every jurisdiction. Elections do make a difference sometimes a critical one in the distribution resources as well as in the area of tax and education policy, the appointment of judges, the power of interest groups to exercise influence in the making of policy and much more.

Right now the state faces an economic crisis that mirrors the larger national economic crisis. Tough decisions must be made regarding spending and allocating scarce resources.

Giving one party total control of any government militates against compromise, accommodation while disenfranchising the views of the supporters of the minority party.

One party rule often leads to overreach, corruption and a lack of regard for legitimate, dissenting views.

A two party system, subject to checks and balances, offers the best way to pursue moderate, centrist policies that will do the least harm and hopefully the most good for an electorate unsure and fearful about their own economic well being and the future of the state.

The state senate is the last redoubt of Republican influence in this state. Seeing it lost would be a calamity for political balance as well a politics of moderation and common sense. A politics of balance serves the polity better than a politics based on the extremism of an overwhelming and overweening majority on either side.

President-elect Barack Obama

By Fred Friedman

With the victory of Barack Obama, it is upsetting to have to admit that the mainstream press, with some exceptions, took a vacation this year and failed to do its job of informing the electorate about the issues that matter in a fair and dispassionate manner.

Much of the mainstream press corps makes no secret of its support for Obama. The adulation surrounding his candidacy turned much of the press into nothing more than sycophants instead of dispassionate reporters doing their job in a disinterested and professional manner commensurate with the idea of public responsibility.

I have been a journalist and political observer for much of my life and have always striven to be as fair and as objective as possible. I may not have always lived up to that vaunted ideal, but it was something I always strived for and respected.

I am a McCain supporter but have criticized him when I felt he was wrong and make no apologies for doing so. Good journalism inevitably involves a degree of skepticism and critical distance. But what are intelligent people to think when the press is more concerned about Sarah Palin’s wardrobe than with Obama’s questionable associations?

What rational person believes that whether Obama used drugs as a teenager is more important than his tax policies that would have a huge impact on small business owners?

Has mainstream journalism become mere entertainment? Or have reporter’s biases overtaken their sense of professional ethics? Several examples suffice. The New York Times did an unfair piece on the sources of Cindy McCain’s wealth. She is not running for president. But the same paper wouldn’t touch Obama’s connections to John Rezko, William Ayers. The Rev. Wright or the allegations of voter fraud perpetuated by

Acorn. All of these stories came to light from conservative sources. And yet these are all legitimate stories that deserved far more coverage than they received from the mainstream press.

Nor has the press reported on the foreign donors who have contributed millions of dollars to Obama’s campaign even though it is illegal to solicit foreign contributions.

The failures of the mainstream press are manifold and threaten the right of citizens to be as fully informed as they want to be in order to cast an intelligent and informed vote and to have a realistic view of public affairs. We can only hope that once the election is over the more sober members of the mainstream press will stop and reflect about how their negligence of duty compromises not only their own integrity and authority but the well being of the larger democratic debate as well.