In the next few days I will make several posts that all fit together. I will start by commenting on the one big problem with the current American news media that everyone is aware of. In the next post I will explain why I think the news media has the problem. Following that I will explain why politicians like the media screwed up. And, for my final post of the series, I will propose a way to change the media for the better.
In every step I would like feedback. Let me hear what you think.
And here’s the first one:
Help! My News Has Been Highjacked!
Rush Limbaugh and Michael Moore are talented, ambitious men. They have both built successful careers through personal and entertaining forms of political commentary. They are good at what they do, which is to entertain people who agree with them by ridiculing opinions different from their own. Each reveals the truth as he sees it. One calls himself a conservative, the other identifies himself as a liberal, but they both do essentially the same thing.
Neither man is going to change many minds. You can’t convince people of something while you are ridiculing their positions or lampooning people they admire. People who disagree with them aren’t listening to Rush’s radio program or going to Michael’s movies. Both men are “preaching to the choir.”
And that’s okay. They attract their audiences, and that, when all is said and done, is their only job.
The problem is that more and more news outlets seem to be buying into the same way of framing and debating issues.
Fox News and MSNBC have discovered that a one-sided, consistent editorial stance makes for good ratings.
Other cable news channels feature liberals and conservatives shouting each other down. Radio talk show hosts spar with guests and listeners who call in. Talking heads discuss what an issue means to the political parties and their quests for power as much as what the issue means to the people of America. Politicians approach issues like kids choosing up sides for a baseball game.
Every important decision that we Americans, as a people, must make is framed as a contest between liberals and conservatives. Issues are discussed as if there are only two possible ways to look at them. And anyone who disagrees with you is (a) hopelessly ignorant, (b) incredibly naive, (c) power hungry, (d) money grubbing, (e) evil, (f) fascist, (g) communist, (h) socialist, or (i) all of the above.
Why is this happening? I’ll share some ideas on that next time.
Black and white thinking takes less thought and it is "entertaining." People like sound bites. Maybe that's what their attention span can handle. Or maybe their minds are already made up (don't confuse me with the facts) and they just want a sound bite to repeat to friends.
ReplyDelete