The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States seemed to usher in a dawn of new politics. People hoped that politics would change enough to the point where policy matters were discussed on their merit and how they would affect the real people of the United States and the world around us. Sadly that has not happened. We can see the failure of this new form of politics among politicians. Both major parties recite old cliches when critiquing the other. Democrats/liberals accuse those on the right of being soul-less, impossible of being passionate, and selfish evil people. Republicans/conservatives all spread the propaganda that those on the left seek to take away all individuality and make the United States one God-less monolith. This is definitely not the change I hoped for.
The United States is a nation with very serious and critical policy matters to discuss. Not least among them is the issue of its economy. Because the U.S. does not have a pure market or capitalist economy it is extremely nuanced. As one commentator on MSNBC was trying to explain the complicated matters of federal currency regulation another commentator on the network called him "wonkish". Wonkish is a term most often used to describe one who is immersed in the particulars of policy. However with the state of affairs in the United States perhaps now is the time to be wonkish. Now is the time people should be made completely aware of what is going on. Rather than do that, the left-leaning network spent very little time looking at the intricacies of economic policy and went back to reciting cliched themes of "Bush failure" and "Cheney torture"
The left-leaning MSNBC is not the only network that would rather play the blame game than seriously look at and consider the way policy will affect American people. Fox news has a history of skewing the presentation of the news to the favor of conservatives. However they drop the ball in their presentation of health care matters. When the conversation of health-care is had on one of their "Great American Panels" they act as if there isn't a significant portion of the nation that is advocating for the single-payer system. The single payer system is one where the government provides for the health care of its citizens (see With Liberty and Health Care for All Feb 4, 2009). The rhetoric used by Fox News suggest that a single payer option will financially bankrupt the nation and destory the concept of individuality in every way. However they don't take the painstaking steps the California Nurses Association took when it researched the topic and came with the economic numbers that a single payer health care option would turn out.
Unfortunately the lack of intelligent discourse or policy matters on those stations may not be new news to many people. The 24 hour news networks may not have the time nor actually care to put in the effort necessary to have a policy conversation. Even with that one would expect the Sunday morning programs to get more the heart of political affairs. Sadly this doesn't even happen there. On the long running Sunday morning program "The McLaughlin Group" the panelist discussed whether or not Barack Obama spent too much time "blaming America" and apologizing in his Cairo speech. Rather than doing that, perhaps they should have been examining the merit of his words. He was (for really the first time in modern U.S. politics) at the very least acknowledging the United States did not have clean hands when it came to Middle East affairs.
The problem with this behavior is that citizens are kept away from making informed judgments because all the people charged with informing them are failing. Politicians can not see past the special interest and next election to actually discuss policy matters. Journalist can't seem to see beyond the next sound-byte, or "gotcha quote" to explain matters. Sadly what is left is an uniformed nation who rather than discuss policy positions instead revert to inflammatory rhetoric and playing the blame game.
Showing posts with label Mainstream Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mainstream Media. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Hundred Day Hoopla
Much has been made about the United States celebrating the first one hundred days of the Obama Presidency. In essence the celebration is becoming much like Valentine's Day. Its a day that has no real meaning or significance but something we've allowed ourselves to observe none the less. In no other job does the first one hundred days matter the way the mainstream media has created this "First 100 Days". Surely there is much to track when assessing the pros and cons of an Obama presidency but to set an arbitrary mark of one hundred days does nothing but give mainstream media outlets something to gear up for. In the coming days here are few things you can expect to see most media outlets ignore when "grading" Obama on his first hundred.
Much of the foreign policy talk has been about three central topics; these topics tend to be torture, Afghanistan and Pakistan. These areas have been identified by much of the press as areas of pressing concern to the safety and security of the United States. Thus when commentators will give Obama a grade on the matter they will be using the affairs of these topics as a rubric. Recently the plight of Somalians became a point of conversation but once the Navy Seals shot them, their story also died. Also Venezuela and Cuba have been talking points but the United States nor the government can (with a straight face) claim a moral high ground on that argument. So the media is likely to have that phased out of the public discourse. So in honor of the 100th day expect the media to center the discourse on foreign policy where the United States can claim moral superiority.
As far as domestic policy goes the media again seems to be disinterested in anything that doesn't pit Democrats and Republican against each other like wild animals. Debates about the budget, government spending, warrant less wiretapping, the bank crisis and same sex marriage are continually viewed through the prism of right/left, conservative/liberal and red/blue. As the news channels acknowledge the 100th day it is safe to expect those that lean left to heap praise on Obama on the aforementioned issues. Those news organizations that lean right will lambaste him on the matters. Either way no new information is gathered and the dialogue is full of partisan rhetoric that doesn't advance the culture or the conversation
With all the conversation about domestic policy surrounding the partisan nature of modern news organizations, it is easy to for see news organizations neglecting questions of whether or not small businesses are benefiting from a flowing credit market. The case against the police officer who shot and killed a handcuffed citizen in Oakland will more than likely be swept under the rug and not receive a great deal of attention. Whether or not the states that refused the stimulus money will be able to survive on their own will be another ignored story. The prosecution (or lack there of) for bankers who were criminally negligent in their actions will also be something that may not make it to airwaves or to press.
A main reason for the void in meaningful dialogue or a thorough look at serious issues is because to truly see them play out takes time. It takes clearly more than 100 days. Unfortunately because so many of us are subjected to getting our news and information from the mainstream media, we are also limited to the news stories that they feel as though shape our life. In this case, we will be paraded through the gamut of opinions and grades on "Obama's first 100 days". All the Sunday morning talk shows are likely to have a roundtable discussion about it as well. This will be all in the name of profit. News networks can count on viewers to watch as they assess Obama's performance over this short time. It is clear that things are bad when James Carville notices the partisan jockeying. This is sadly the media's attempt to generate a story despite most rational people realizing that 100 days is no real barometer in assessing a president. But even I can't complain that much. Even I am writing about it. Looks like everyone is caught up in the Hundred Day Hoopla.
Much of the foreign policy talk has been about three central topics; these topics tend to be torture, Afghanistan and Pakistan. These areas have been identified by much of the press as areas of pressing concern to the safety and security of the United States. Thus when commentators will give Obama a grade on the matter they will be using the affairs of these topics as a rubric. Recently the plight of Somalians became a point of conversation but once the Navy Seals shot them, their story also died. Also Venezuela and Cuba have been talking points but the United States nor the government can (with a straight face) claim a moral high ground on that argument. So the media is likely to have that phased out of the public discourse. So in honor of the 100th day expect the media to center the discourse on foreign policy where the United States can claim moral superiority.
As far as domestic policy goes the media again seems to be disinterested in anything that doesn't pit Democrats and Republican against each other like wild animals. Debates about the budget, government spending, warrant less wiretapping, the bank crisis and same sex marriage are continually viewed through the prism of right/left, conservative/liberal and red/blue. As the news channels acknowledge the 100th day it is safe to expect those that lean left to heap praise on Obama on the aforementioned issues. Those news organizations that lean right will lambaste him on the matters. Either way no new information is gathered and the dialogue is full of partisan rhetoric that doesn't advance the culture or the conversation
With all the conversation about domestic policy surrounding the partisan nature of modern news organizations, it is easy to for see news organizations neglecting questions of whether or not small businesses are benefiting from a flowing credit market. The case against the police officer who shot and killed a handcuffed citizen in Oakland will more than likely be swept under the rug and not receive a great deal of attention. Whether or not the states that refused the stimulus money will be able to survive on their own will be another ignored story. The prosecution (or lack there of) for bankers who were criminally negligent in their actions will also be something that may not make it to airwaves or to press.
A main reason for the void in meaningful dialogue or a thorough look at serious issues is because to truly see them play out takes time. It takes clearly more than 100 days. Unfortunately because so many of us are subjected to getting our news and information from the mainstream media, we are also limited to the news stories that they feel as though shape our life. In this case, we will be paraded through the gamut of opinions and grades on "Obama's first 100 days". All the Sunday morning talk shows are likely to have a roundtable discussion about it as well. This will be all in the name of profit. News networks can count on viewers to watch as they assess Obama's performance over this short time. It is clear that things are bad when James Carville notices the partisan jockeying. This is sadly the media's attempt to generate a story despite most rational people realizing that 100 days is no real barometer in assessing a president. But even I can't complain that much. Even I am writing about it. Looks like everyone is caught up in the Hundred Day Hoopla.
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