\u201cTell the truth.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cShame the devil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leave it to one of America\u2019s most respected and incisive journalists, Walter Lippman<\/a>, to sum up in a few simple words the difficult charge of true journalism.<\/p>\n

How well do contemporary journalists live up to Lippman\u2019s expectations?\u00a0 \u00a0Let\u2019s just say Mr. Lippman might be more than a bit disappointed, even though by the time of his passing in 1974 he was already declaiming the decline of political coverage in the mass media. Lippman probably wouldn\u2019t be that surprised to see how most of today\u2019s broadcast journalists seem content to simply scratch the surface and fall back on simple-minded slogans.<\/p>\n

How often these days do we get raw, unfiltered truth telling? \u00a0Not often enough. In the name of phony, balanced coverage (and I\u2019m not just referring to FOX here), the lines between messaging, spin, exaggeration, lying, and outright propaganda have nearly been obliterated. In the process, truth itself has been obliterated.<\/p>\n

Truth telling takes courage. It\u2019s risky. \u00a0It\u2019s hard work. It\u2019s complicated. Dig deeper, and you don\u2019t know what you\u2019ll find or, more importantly, who you might offend. \u00a0Those risks \u2013the devil often bites back, after all\u2014feed into a journalist\u2019s temptation to self-censor. Add into the mix the influence and pressures of corporate ownership and advertising, and you see why truth, uncomfortable facts, and integrity so easily get lost in the shuffle.<\/p>\n

When a contemporary journalist pushes back and chooses to answer Lippman\u2019s call, we should take note. Integrity needs to be acknowledged. There are two mainstream broadcast journalists today that I\u2019d nominate for passing the Lippman litmus test:\u00a0 Bill Moyers, the granddaddy of probing discussion and truth telling, and the newbie, Chris Hayes.<\/p>\n

Hayes is the brainy kid squirming on the edge of his seat at the front of the class.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to imagine Hayes wildly waving his arms around in his enthusiasm to have the teacher call on him.\u00a0 He\u2019s jumpy because he\u2019s got something pithy to say that no one else has thought about.\u00a0 Or if they have, Chris has figured out a more erudite and inclusive way to sum it up.<\/p>\n

Recently on his MSNBC weekend program, \u201cUp w\/Chris Hayes,\u201d there was a stellar moment that Lippman would certainly have applauded.Hayes was interviewing Mitt Romney\u2019s economic adviser, Emil Henry.