Why do the media frame issues in terms of liberals vs. conservatives?

We seem to believe “the best way to explore an idea is to set up a debate; the best way to cover the news is to find spokespeople who express the most extreme, polarized views and present them as 'both sides'; the best way to show you're really thinking is to criticize and attack.”

• Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture (1998)

Political news in this country is nearly always broadly framed as a contest between liberals and conservatives.

News is a mass produced commodity. It’s a big business that needs to produce headlines every day, and report news that will attract viewers, listeners, or readers for advertisers. Covering issues requires time, study. and knowledge of history. Understanding issues requires context.

Using the liberal/conservative mindset makes journalism easier. All you need is a moderator who looks (or sounds) good and a couple of good talkers, a “liberal” and a “conservative”, and let them debate. That also provides the illusion of balance. And people shouting at each other is better for ratings than charts and graphs and substantive discussion.

Issues can be hard to get a handle on, but everyone understands a contest. So rather than cover an issue, cover how the political parties, the liberals and conservatives, are lining up on the issue. How are politicians using this issue to their advantage? How they are spinning it? How might voters align themselves on this issue in the next election?

This kind of news coverage is inexpensive, it can help ratings if the talkers are provocative or entertaining enough. For news producers and talking heads alike, it’s a win-win situation. The only losers are people who are interested in the issue itself.

All media buy this framework. During the last presidential election campaign I was taking a media class, and did a study of NPR coverage. For one month I measured how much coverage was race and tactics versus substantive issues. From September 1 to October 1 2007 Morning Edition and All Things Considered had twelve campaign stories for every one issue story. And for the most part issue stories made it only when a candidate made the issue the story.

Journalists are working to do a job on deadlines and budgets. The liberal/conservative frame works for them. And it works for politicians, too.

More on that next time.