freedom at last.

i find more truth in this quiet disclaimer.

it was a night made infamous by painted nudes. literal living art (though, isn't it all?). but this is what caught my attention that night on first fridays in richmond.

the s.i. newhouse school of public communications opens its third building this year, with chief justice john roberts dedicating the multi-million dollar expansion. the words to the preciously delicate first amendment roll across the concrete. a testament to the power of communication, regardless of craft, form or vehicle. these words, well, they remind the young minds inside exactly of the freedoms we're supposed to inherit as citizens. i suppose. but i'm a cynical little communicator, skeptical of the true freedom of the press. when kings hold the castle gates closed from different points of view.

i stepped into an auditorium in august 1999 as an optimistic journalist ready to change the system. i said i valued the days (cherished maybe) when news was solely that, not orchestrated entertainment digested in ticker-tape blips. but access changes opinions. and experiences alter realities. do dollars fuel everything we do? what value does culture play in the creation of entertainment? or that age-old media question: does culture define our entertainment, does entertainment define our culture, or is some parasitic relationship pumping the engine?

probably a little from column a. a little from column b. or, really, whomever or whatever can pay the rent.