These days, every time I turn on the television I'm amazed by how American news outlets have changed from checks on government and business corruption into mere platforms for so-called journalists to spew biased rhetoric onto the public. Some of you might think I am exaggerating and the media is doing fine — but that is complete nonsense. When a program like "The Daily Show" makes more sense than most serious news and political commentary programs, you know something is wrong and must be fixed.

Programs like "The O'Reilly Factor," where papa-bear Bill O'Reilly consistently shouts down his opponents and cuts off their microphones, are prime examples of how we've given in to the culture of one-sidedness and have come to expect much less than we used to from our media.

Programs like the now-defunct "Crossfire," where debate between the commentators from the "right" and the "left" was often nothing more than fruitless argument from two antagonistic pundits, are examples of how even when the conversations are portrayed as intelligent debates, they are really no more than proverbial cockfights with no value aside from entertainment.

Just comparing the standards a newspaper columnist is held to when compared to a television commentator is enough for us to understand how striving for ratings has sunk the television media to a new low. While a newspaper columnist could be completely discredited if he is found to have clearly lied in an article, a television commentator's lies are often unquestioned or even accepted as truth. In this sense, the current state of our national media is completely unacceptable, and it is time for serious change.

We must lift the media back to its position as the neutral observer and the guarantor of the people's right to the facts. Some might argue that this will eliminate the entertainment aspect of news or political commentary.

However, when we have both sides of the argument instead of one and have a meaningful discussion instead of endless bickering, this will only make the media more entertaining. The neutrality of the media can be its finest asset.

Throughout history, every time the neutrality of the media has been jeopardized, there has been a negative result. Or have we forgotten Joseph Goebbels and his Nazi propaganda machine? This is the way American media is heading, and it must be reversed before it’s too late.

For quite some time now, journalism has been, and still is, a semi-profession with no specific qualifications or code of conduct. I believe the existence of a code of conduct is crucial if we are to restore the public's trust in the media. However, this mustn't be understood as an argument for censorship, especially not by the government.

Instead, since there currently is no censorship on popular journalism, the media must act as a check on itself and practice self-regulation. If almost all respected professions, such as medicine and law, have unions or regulatory committees that help guarantee the quality of their performance, why is journalism any different?

Groups such a Newshounds, which is a watchdog group for Fox News, and others should be encouraged because they act as checks on the media itself. They review the content of the news and political commentary and expose any lies or spins to the public. One only needs to look at the most fundamental aspects of American government to see there is no such thing as too much oversight.

It is time for the media to revert to its original noble form and practice its intended role. It is time for us — the viewers, readers and listeners — to demand a higher standard.

Ammar Al Marzouqi ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in computer engineering.