YIN & YANG OF TODAY'S WHISTLEBLOWING

Whistle-blowing today has evolved into a fine and often lucrative art. It usually comes in the form of a ghost-written memoir, tell-all-autobiography, leak to the "National Enquirer," or appearance on a TV talk show. It has all the pop elements that sell -- secrets! dirt! big names! occasionally even big causes like the big-name-dirty-secrets of the tobacco industry.

Then there are whistles blown in ways that reap as much damage as good. Hence the debate.

Perhaps the first whistle-blower in our lives was that little scum-bag in second grade who called Santa a fraud. Lot of debate to the value of that one. And what about the day someone squealed that your favorite teacher was seen boozing in the local tavern? Still later, whistlers may begin accusing the neighborhood philanderer, the local bookie, or the house where they're sure they've seen witchcraft.

How are we to use our own views and values in order to weigh such charges? Especially today when charging someone of something has become a 24/7 way of life called: Gotcha Journalism.

Here's where the Gotcha gang speak solemnly about our right-to-know. And yes -- if the pilot of the plane we're on is drunk or the coach of the school team is molesting the players -- we do have that right. And the guys with the whistle do have that obligation. However, it gets dicier when the Gotchas are more self-serving than serving society.

Every society needs its fair share of honors, heroes and heroics. In its core institutions like government, education, religion, sports. We really do live by more than bread alone. Just like doctors and lawyers take oaths to the standards of their profession, there must be a time when the mass media confront an oath of their own. The New York Times has for years used: "All The News That's Fit To Print."

The yin to this yang may be the way today's media have changed that to: "Any Gotcha News That Fits."