Redwood City, Friday (F.A. wire) - With the US presidential election over and a verdict returned in the trial of Scott Peterson, American news organizations found themselves surveying the landscape mournfully in search of what to focus upon next. Several industry insiders suggested that the nations networks and newspapers might be forced to turn to “journalism” as a last resort.

“It’s a black day for news in this country,” said one media insider, who begged desperately to be named. “We’ve been regurgitating the candidates’ daily talking points without critique and transcribing the events in one California courthouse for so long… now what?”

Around the newsrooms of America, there was a palpable sense of dread. One editor put it in stark terms: “First the Kobe thing got settled, then Election Day came, and now this. If something doesn’t turn up soon, we might have to start deciding what’s news and what isn’t, what’s relevant and what’s trivial, what’s true and what’s false. Where do we begin?”

Some were more upbeat. A senior producer at a major cable news network said that this was probably just a minor correction in the news market. “Tomorrow morning will come. Democrats and Republicans will tell us what to say, and we’ll tell America what they’re saying. So politics and world events are covered. As for what other stories are ‘legitimate… ‘ something will come along. I don’t think we’re going to have to stoop to investigation or anything like that.”

Over at a prominent national newspaper, a senior editor was optimistic. “Somewhere in America, somewhere out there, a white woman is being murdered or abducted or raped. And there will be a suspect and a trial, and the world will continue to turn. We’ll be fine.”