Is it just Ed, or is the media getting more and more attention-and slack-as the race for the new president-and ratings-gets closer-and more heated? Though Ed would like it to first be known that he’s non-partisan, he can’t help but notice the scrutiny being placed on news networks, such as Fox 29, for being what many are calling biased. Between news segments, talk shows, articles, YouTube videos, and endless blogs, it seems everyone has something to say about “what’s being said” about this year’s presidential candidates and issues.
Now, Ed knows it’s not terribly uncommon for media outlets and members of the press themselves to be placed under the microscope during such significant events, especially when covering differing political views and many controversial topics, but perhaps with the announcement of John McCain’s VP pick, many are questioning more than ever before whether the face of the media- and America- might be changing.
Between recent articles like “Sarah Palin’s Family Drama” in People and “John McCain’s Vice President Sarah Palin: Babies, Lies & Scandal” in Us Weekly, daily water polls addressing Palin’s readiness to become VP despite her daughter Bristol’s teen pregnancy, news of Lindsay Lohan’s politically-based blogs (come on!), and now constant coverage of the so-called “lipstick incident,” which recently served as the main source of entertainment for one of Ed’s fellow bus riders and her friends via BlackBerry, it seems no one is safe-and the media is left to blame.
One huge example of this is the recent boycott Oprah is facing from talk show viewers and magazine readers upset that she won’t have Palin on her show, which has now lead to countless posts on her website and even magazine subscription cancellations.
What do you think of the recent 2008 Election coverage? Do you think that the media has a responsibility to report on any, and all, facts pertaining to a political candidate and their families or does a certain type of so-called tabloid-like coverage in a race to get the story first actually serve to minimize a network or publication’s credibility by addressing scandals at the cost of the often deemed real issues at hand?
Or is it that the media is simply getting a bum rap in a new age where the blogosphere and the ability to self-broadcast have taken the center stage resulting in news (subject to interpretation) spreading faster than ever before? Tell Ed what you think here!
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2 comments:
i think by blaming the media for its election coverage, we give it too much credit. as individuals, we choose what to read and what to watch, and we take from it what we choose to. fox news (as an example) can be as biased as it wants, and it's not going to change my vote. let's give people, the consumers of media, a little more credit.
I think that it is the responsibility of the news media to print any and all newsworthy facts regarding the election. It is their job to inform the public about the candidates, policies, etc. so that voters can make informed decisions. But the problem is many of the “tabloid-like” publications are not facts. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of these “tabloid-like” stories-- stories such as “Is it Palin’s baby?” “Does Obama believe in God?” These stories are not newsworthy, unless they are 100% TRUE. I understand that as a journalist these stories sell, but at the same time, it is the responsibility of the journalist to be responsible. I think stories like these that tend to be more “extreme,” if you will, take away credibility from a publication or network. “Scandals” and tabloid-like stories should be run with caution and only run if there is overwhelming evidence that indicates truth; stories based on gossip and speculation spin the election in a negative light, taking away focus from the real issues at hand. I think it’s safe to say as citizens of the United States, everyone should want their neighbor to vote based on facts and policy-preference, not on a drawn-up baby scandal or absurd Obama- “Hussein” connection. Thus, it is the responsibility of the news media to exercise their control with ethics and reason, otherwise not only will their publication lose, but so will citizens.
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