Al Gore's Code Red

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"It is no longer possible to ignore the strangeness of our public discourse," former U.S. Vice President Al Gore told the We Media Conference in New York. "Something has gone basically and badly wrong in the way America's fabled 'marketplace of ideas' now functions." Gore cited the dominance and poor quality of television as a main cause: "Clearly, the purpose of television news is no longer to inform the American people or serve the public interest. It is to 'glue eyeballs to the screen' in order to build ratings and sell advertising. ... Just look at what's on: The Robert Blake trial. The Laci Peterson tragedy. The Michael Jackson trial. The Runaway Bride. The search in Aruba. The latest twist in various celebrity couplings. ... More importantly, notice what is not on: the global climate crisis, the nation's fiscal catastrophe, the hollowing out of America's industrial base, and a long list of other serious public questions that need to be addressed by the American people." Gore, whose new business venture, Current TV, airs "viewer-created content," also blasted television for lacking "true interactivity."