Media Ethics Malpractice Meets The Trickle-Down Theory

Las Vegas TV anchor Nina Radetich got caught red handed offering the PR services of her husband to a local auto repair chain that her station, KTNV, was doing an investigative report on. So far, Radetich hasn't been fired. But then again, isn't that just emulating what we see time and time in the national media?

Washington Post media columnist Howard Kurtz pretends as if his employer, CNN, doesn't broadcast birther-proponent Lou Dobbs every night. And NBC/MSNBC regularly features analyst Gen. Barry McCaffrey without disclosing his DynCorp ties.

The national media - with an audience in the millions - regularly plays fast and loose with the ethics of journalism. What incentive is there for a local anchor to do the right thing?