Put Out the Fire

It is said that things are getting better.

CNN.com, for example, reports that it is encouraging that "the pace of U.S. job losses eased in December."

Presumably that means that, because fewer people are losing their jobs each month, things are better.

Try telling that to the copy editors who are being phased out at Media General's three largest newspapers.

The fire continues to burn out of control in journalism.

These days, passing the buck is in fashion, especially when the subject is the economy. It's not our fault, protest those who were elected to do something about it but have yet to do so.

Someone needs to remind them that — in the words of Billy Joel — we didn't start the fire.

But we're being consumed by it.