Amy vs. Jenny vs. Elizabeth

Sometimes you appreciate Amy Goodman even more when you see or hear what's on the other stations and channels.

If you missed the news last week, Elizabeth Hasselbeck is leaving ABC's The View to be a co-host on Fox & Friends, the morning show on the Fox TV network.  In addition to being married to an NFL quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck's brother Tim), Elizabeth cut her TV journalism teeth by being a judge for Miss Teen USA and being cast in "Survivor: The Australian Outback" in 2001.

The View already has Hasselbeck's replacement lined up - they've hired seasoned broadcast veteran Jenny McCarthy.  McCarthy was propelled to media fame with a 1993 $20,000 gig as Playboy's Ocotber Playmate of the Month.  She gained more experience by hosting the MTV dating show "Singled Out" and then appeared in a number of motion pictures, including BASEketball and Dirty Love.

McCarthy has also made a name for herself by claiming that some vaccines can lead to autism.  A number of scientists, physicians and experts, have debunked her claims. Salon.com called her a crackpot and said her continued crusade "does not make her a mother warrior, it makes her a menace."

Then, there's Amy Goodman. Amy graduated from Radcliffe College in 1984 with a degree in anthropology and spent a year studying at the College of the Atlantic in Maine.  She had been news director for Pacifica's WBAI in New York City for more than a decade when she co-founded her current nationally syndicated program "Democracy Now!"

Amy has won dozens of awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and the George Polk Award.

Bill Clinton angrily called her "hostile and combative" after he called WBAI on election day in 2000 for what he planned to be a quick 'get-out-the-vote' message.  Goodman peppered him with questions about NAFTA, racial profiling, and Iraq sanctions.  She challenged him for a solid 28 minutes before he could extricate himself from the call.

Far be it from me to question the broadcast journalism chops of Jenny McCarthy or Elizabeth Hasselbeck. They're both highly compensated and have survived in a challenging, cut-throat business...so they must appeal to millions of people.

But here's a challenge: spend a few mornings watching Elizabeth Hasselbeck on Fox & Friends; then catch Jenny McCarthy on The View; then listen to a few hours of Amy Goodman on KSER. Then you make the call. You decide which makes you feel a little more informed and understanding about the issues facing us today.

Of course, some of the issues facing us can be daunting and depressing. Maybe that's why so many people would prefer graduates of Survivor and Playboy.