There is a growing literature about the multitude of journalism's problems but most of it is concerned with the editorial side of the business possibly because most people competent to write about journalism are not comfortable writing about finance.

Except for politics no business is scrutinized more exhaustively than journalism.

Many people would no more think of entering journalism than the sewage business - which at least does us all some good.

In almost every profession - whether it's law or journalism finance or medicine or academia or running a small business - people rely on confidential communications to do their jobs. We count on the space of trust that confidentiality provides. When someone breaches that trust we are all worse off for it.

The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs for no good reason.

Confrontation is not a dirty word. Sometimes it's the best kind of journalism as long you don't confront people just for the sake of a confrontation.

Don't count out other amazing programming like Frontline. You will still find more hours of in-depth news programming investigative journalism and analysis on PBS than on any other outlet.