Once upon a time, Columbia Journalism School offered me a Pulitzer grant to obtain a masters. I had finished second for the prize grant, but I had wanted to actually work as a reporter first. Thirty years later after a career that included journalism, motion pictures and advertising, I approached the J school about a project to track the triple convergence of advertising, entertainment and news. I was seconded by the executive editor of one of the tree leading news magazines who was interested in this phenomenon. Columbia had no interest.

That was thirteen years ago. Today’s Rolling Stone cover, much of the talking head madness on cable and the general demise of the news business in magazines and newspapers is the result of this convergence. AJ Liebling noted that the newspaper’s news had become the stale peanuts on the bar. The money is in the booze. The money is in the entertainment. And the entertainment has been poisoned with disguised advocacy. In many cases, it is not even disguised.

When you see the pontificating puppets on cable scream outrageously, turn it off. When you see the news hounds bark with pro liberal or pro conservative, turn it off. When the racist decry racism, turn it off. It is time to unplug. Or switch to wrestling. It’s more honest.

The J schools could start to change this sickness. Young journalist see nothing wrong with the Rolling Stone cover. Why? Because you taught them. You won’t find ethics courses in business schools for the most part. If they are in J schools, they aren’t working.