Blair on the media

Blair recently "blasted" the media in a speech he gave on public life. The best quote from the speech:

"The audience needs to be arrested, held and their emotions engaged. Something that is interesting is less powerful than something that makes you angry or shocked. The consequences of this are acute. First, scandal or controversy beats ordinary reporting hands down.
News is rarely news unless it generates heat as much as or more than light."

The last sentence with the light metaphore is perfect. Great reporting doesn't need to editorialize or speculate, the facts will more often than not speak for themselves, and the public will respond appropriately.