After the national news pundits, newspapers, polls, and journalists failed miserably at predicting the outcome of the New Hampshire primary, there was a call sent out asking for those same supposed experts, to focus on substance. Instead of talking about money, strategy and the almighty poll, it would be nice if the mainstream media would focus on the candidate’s position’s on issues. Issues that are actually important to Americans. What a concept!
FAIR, a watchdog group for the media, published an article (1/11/08) calling for the press to refocus their campaign reporting. They were not the only ones calling for that same idea. While some discussion went on through various media outlets, for the most part, all those calls went unheeded. Yesterday’s headlines in the Washington Post (Monday, January 14, 2008) had an article about polling status, and an article about global warming. Both were major news stories, but only one had any information or substance. That one would be the article that discussed ice loss in Antarctica. Needless to say, the other headline article didn’t have anything real to say. Where was the article on the candidates stance’s on melting ice loss, or de-forestation and habitat loss? Where was the article that discussed how each candidate proposes to address the overwhelming issue of global warming, or how to get rid of the deliberate policies of the Bush Administration to squash out any real science regarding global warming? Nowhere!
If you read the websites of most candidates, you can find much about their positions. You can also find out candidate stances when you read specialty newsprint or online sites. And don’t forget that blogs actually can deliver quite a bit of information. But, … whatever happened to the real dissemination of information from the #1 sources that most people have daily? As a working parent, I don’t have the kind of time it takes to go look up most of that information. I need to have reliable, ready information from the main sources I have, which means the daily evening news and the newspaper. And, that information needs to be the headline, not some ridiculous and useless article about polling status.
I am not alone in that estimation. Granted, my information is not from a scientifically based research poll (Thank God!), but rather from the people I see in my daily life. I am a typical middle class American, not a politician, nor anyone who is on the inside of that world. I work and take care of my family, I try to install values in my children, am concerned about my community, and my world. I try to do the best that I can for all my concerns. I am the typical American that most of those polls want to get my opinion for. Yet, the feedback I seem to get is not the kind I need to hear. I need to hear about issues related to my concerns. And I need to know which candidate will try to address those concerns. I need to know which candidate proposed specific plans to address the world I live in now, and the world my children will inherit. Mainstream media doesn’t give me that information.
Whereas the national and mainstream media seems to finally be getting some messages across about important election year issues, they still seem unwaveringly focused on poll results, how much money was raised, and who had ‘inside the beltway’ political clout. It is, yet again, another dismal year for truth. I send out claxon call to you at the top of the information food chain, to get your act together. Report substantial information! Try a weekly, two minute blurb on each candidates position for global warming, and economics in our country. Also, try to report what steps each candidate will take to achieve their positions goals. Imagine a regular discussion on real life important topics!
published, with permission from this blogs owner, by Jennifer Emerson
