Letter of the Day: Too much focus on the trivial, too little on the substantial

Two events in the last week make one question what the news media consider news.

First, Vanity Fair had a tell-all article about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's personal life written by a source whom they paid for the information. The information in the story was reported in detail, including the blockbuster news that she is not the outdoor enthusiast she portrayed herself to be.

The second story was about President Obama's green czar, Van Jones. Before taking the position, Jones signed a petition indicating the attacks of 9/11 were an inside job and that former President George W. Bush was a "crackhead." This never got the time of day from the news media until he resigned. No one questioned how somebody with these views could end up in the administration.

This type of reporting , or lack of it, shows why so many people rank the national news media lower than used-car salesmen in objectivity.