Media Criticism

Hello, my name is Todd Epp and I am the new blogger for this site, Media Criticism. I am already a blogger in the 451 Press family with the highly sucessful TV news and review site, TV Bloggin. (grin)

I thought you might like a little background about me and where I hope to take this site.

I am a former local TV news producer, reporter, anchor and manager. I have worked at public TV stations in Kansas and South Dakota, and commercial TV stations in Sioux Falls, SD. I know what it is like to come up with story ideas, execute those stories, cover breaking news, perform on camera, deal with internal and external politics, and help lead a newsroom.

I still report on and blog about South Dakota and national politics (as well as other things) at my personal blog, S.D. Watch.

My real job is as an attorney. I practice at Galland Law Firm, PC in Sioux Falls. In my practice, I have represented media organizations and talent, litigated First Amendment and defamation lawsuits, and also advise clients on Internet legal issues.

I am an avid watcher and admirer of Keith Olbermann and MSNBC’s Countdown. I believe it is the perfect newscast in the current 24 hour news cycle that the Internet has created. It is funny, opininated, and yet provides important news and information. Frankly, I think this is what TV news should strive for–informing the public with savvy, attitude, real emotion (as compared to manufactured emotion), truth, and humor.

As a former reporter and anchor and as someone who also interfaces with the media concerning my court cases and my political causes, I think I have a unique understanding of the role of the electronic media in today’s society, the impact of innovations like blogging and “broadcasting” online, and how news and entertainment continue their uneasy co-existence.

These things I hate in news coverage: I hate insincerity. I hate corporate interference. I hate pomposity. I hate pack journalism. I hate the raising up the trivial and the ignoring of what is truly important.

I wish I could tell you I am unbiased. I am not. I bring being a Democrat, a liberal, a Buddhist, a Methodist, a Midwesterner, a father, a son, a husband, a lawyer, a former broadcaster, and a bit of cynic to my criticism. That’s where I’m coming from.

I’ll tell you what I think and why. I’ll tell you what I think is bad–and good–in the media–and why.

I also hope you’ll participate in the conversation in the comments or email me drectly at epplaw (at) gmail (dot) com.

Let the conversation begin!