No Hard Questions Please!
Sharron Angle, candidate for Senate in Nevada- thought she had it all figured out. The press was there to push her agenda - no more, no less.
The press wasn't there to ask tough questions, they weren't there to create transparency or call candidates out on blatant lies and contradictions. God forbid a candidate should have to THINK while being interviewed. Nopers - the press was simply to be an extension of her Facebook image. Reporters were there to offer her free access to short and sweet soundbites that would augment the message that was already being spread far and wide with the wads of money from fat campaign purses.
So when the "regular press" didn't agree with Angle's vision of their role in the political process, America suddenly became used to seeing a new sight - the back of tea party candidate's heads as they actually fled the cameras and the questions. O'Donnell was also seen running from reporters and had more than her fair share of back-of-head photo-ops.
Welcome to fact-free election campaign:
In my last post, I bemoaned the end of the Fairness Doctrine which mandated neutrality in reporting the news. It was complemented by the equal time rule that required broadcast networks to offer equal time for rebuttals from opponents.
The loss of the fairness doctrine had the unintended consequence of allowing candidates to shun mainstream media in favor of user-friendly pundits to get their message out. The result has been tight control of the message and a campaign devoid of substance and facts. Conservatives pick FOX while liberals pick MSNBC - the candidates get the exposure they crave without having to actually address the issues or respond to any critical critique.
To Bill Clinton - facts now seem irrelevant. It is small wonder that our former president referred to the 2010 election cycle as the most "fact-free" campaign season he could ever recall.
Bill Clinton in Norwalk, CT: "This is a 'Fact-Free' campaign" from Nick Pisarro, Jr. on Vimeo.
A tweet a day keeps reporters away...
Twitter is a great way to fire off sound bites. Although most people's tweets (including attempts from yours truly) are destined for the cyber-scrapheap - celebrity tweets get automatic notoriety. Its no accident that Sarah Palin - thrives on issuing 149 character sound bites. Tweets can draw in the crowds while insulating Palin against the need for a thoughtful response to sound criticism. It's the perfect foil for a candidate whose mind is devoid of any depth. Between the Sarah Palin biography, Fox News and simple-minded tweets - Palin controls her message and stays on-point. Facts need not be an issue.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| America's Tweetheart | ||||
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The irony of the internet:
Cyberspace has the unique capacity to inform those who seek in-depth information. News junkies like myself can get our "fix" from an endless variety of sources. But all these choices also allow the misinformed or willfully ignorant to wallow in a sea of misinformation. The irony of the internet is that it can be used as an educational tool for some while fomenting ignorance in others.
© 2010 http://www.therobberbaroneconomy.com
[...] works in the context of an engaged and informed electorate. In a previous post I mentioned the role of the fairness doctrine and equal time in keeping the electorate informed with objective information free from spin. The ability to pick and choose user-friendly pundits [...]
ReplyDelete[...] that is quite impressive. The massive spin machines which have been enabled by the end of the fairness doctrine has been used with great finesse by those who would exploit the have nots in favor of the have [...]
ReplyDelete