In a comment over at LibsAT, I commended a recent Newsweek article within the context of the "MSM" coverage of Iraqi politics. And was brought up short by co-blogger Haggai, who noted "MSM" made him a bit uncomfortable, given its association with wingnut paranoia.

I take the objection seriously. It's somewhat like those perennial favorites, freedom, democracy, opportunity and compassion. "MSM" has been hijacked by the war-blogging and Bushite right, and it's not clear how/whether we can rehabilitate it.

If my memory serves, the expression started off fairly neutral in partisan terms. Criticism of what was passing for political news and analysis by the leading news organizations and their associated punditry certainly wasn't confined to the right hemisphere of blogdom. True, there was even then the subtext of the "liberal media bias," but there was a counterbalancing "vicious right-wing conspiracy." Critiques of the structural inadequacies of the MSM, to which in part the blogosphere was a noisy response, were shared across the political spectrum.

Even now, some of the best critiques continue to come from a diverse collection of endangered species, ranging from centrists to moderate progressives and farther points left, whether the Howler or Campaign Desk. But now the triumphantalist right -- led by the Hewitts, Powerlines and Instys -- has hijacked both "year of the blog" and its enemy, the MSM, turning the label into a self-referential meme. [BTW -- Jay Rosen's series of takes on the Eason debacle -- together with his AfterMatters and comment threads on the posts -- are very much worth reading for a broader perspective on the changing rule sets for journalism and the press in an age of instant communication].

So what's an author to do? If you want a value-neutral short-hand reference for that collection of media organizations that used to be known as MSM?

Rosen has done a good deal of thinking on the subject, but has yet to hit on a result I find compelling. For example, for a time a common alternative was the "legacy media" tag, with its embedded presumption of the inevitable outcome of a battle-to-the-death between "new" vs "old." It may be a useful (though biased) way of conducting a debate about the future of journalism, but too narrowly cast and too value-judgment-rich to be a neutral label. So that's no good.

As a public service to discourse, I think we need to devise and actively disseminate another acronym. My options so far are CNOs -- commercial news organizations; and MCM -- mass commercial media. Neither is exactly catchy and each has its limitations. So I'm wide open to suggestions.

But I need something that's max 4 letters. One must admit the newest competitor to "MSM" is equal-opportunity --note it targets those incidious "Lefto-Conservative" types. But I get lost in Ss & Ms in SCLCMMSMM. [hat tip prak]