The only serious venues for discussing politics and other issues these days are on comedy shows: Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart. Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno to a lesser extent.

That is what my friend who worked at the BBC and now in documentary TV told me. She was born in London and now lives in Santa Monica with her husband and son. She is disgusted by the timid American news media, the one-second stories on the NBC Nightly News, the laughable local news in Los Angeles.

The comedic world has supplanted the so-called serious journalist in telling us what is happening. Bill Maher talks to General Zinni, while Matt Lauer questions Tim Russert. Time Magazine, which once featured General DeGaulle and Queen Elizabeth on its covers, now headlines stories about how to feel happier and raise better kids.

There was a time when we looked to the exalted Walter Cronkite for an objective viewpoint steeped in dignity and intellect. Now we look to the clowns to hear the truth.

Who will Bill Maher have on his panel this week? I bet they will speak with more integrity and guts than fork tongued Senator John McCain on “Meet the Press”.