A key reason the news media exists with special privileges is to be our watchdogs. Reporters' charge is to alert us when something is wrong, when human or natural disasters are about to threaten our welfare. When it comes to natural disasters, the news media do a praisable job of reporting the obvious, but not a very good one of preparing the public for what might happen, for alerting us to potential difficulties. When it comes to human disasters, especially problems in government and economic matters, the press has failed miserably. For example, Time magazine finally told the public in a recent cover story what only the most quick observers already knew: 'The Great Retirement Ripoff(偷窃): Millions of Americans who think they will retire with benefits are going be shocked. How corporations are picking people's pockets—with the help of Congress...How can this legal?' Where was the media when each piece of corporate-biased legislation was being passed? Why wasn't Congress afraid to pass such legislation? Because the media has decided that news concerning Congress is of little interest to its audience. TV news managers have believed that economic and social issues are too complicated for the public to grasp. Newspaper editors occasionally print such stories, but mostly they concentrate on human-interest features, consumer health sections and entertainment. Hard news holes are shrinking and investigative journalism is carried out only on occasion. It is too difficult and costly. Besides, it antagonizes advertisers while seldom increasing circulation. Magazines that would look into such subjects seem to be dying out. The result is that no one is watching the rich and powerful so they can do almost anything with impunity(不受惩罚). Millions of Americans have been robbed in broad daylight while the news media has busied itself with celebrity trials and sensational crime stories. Corporations steal the public blind under legislation authorized by government officials. Companies file for bankruptcy protection, cutting off medical and life-insurance benefits for retirees. It isn't a new phenomenon. For the most part, today's press has let down the American public time and time again. If it seems to be getting worse, it's because there are so many segments of the media that should be telling us, in an accurate and fair manner, what our elected officials are doing before it's too late to take action. It's harder to blame corporations because they make no bones about their mission: make as much money as possible at all costs. Those in Congress are supposed to protect us and look out for our interests. Yet, it appears they constantly help their powerful supporters who often buy their offices for them. No one is doing the right thing. The joke apparently is on all of us—the old and the sick who will have no help in the future and the young burdened with the debt of caring for their impoverished elders for the rest of their lives. According to the first three paragraphs, the news media do well in ______