On Sunday September 20, President Obama was interviewed by several media networks.
Each interviewer asked the question about why the tone of the [health care] message is so contentious. The President made the comment that the best way to get on the 24 hour news cycle “loop” was to be rude. He went on to say that folks who had strong opposition to an issue and stated it without being disagreeable, rarely got the airtime.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/32930361#32930361
It is an observation on both our news organizations and society that the more dramatic type of journalism does seem to prevail.
It is the responsibility of journalists to present stories in the most truthful unbiased fashion, and it is the responsibility of the public to make choices on how we wish to see news versus opinion presented. “Garbage in, garbage out.” (George Fuechsel, IBM, NYC)
Running "tempest in a teapot" issues to sell more papers, airtime, or advertising space, is not only about the ethics of the news organization. Media is like any consumable good. Everyday we accept or reject a product by voting with our wallets and our time. The relationship between the media and the public is co-dependent. This phenomenon isn’t new, but what has accelerated in the last 10 years or so is a public apathy towards disrespectful reporting. We have lowered the bar for ourselves.
What is on the airwaves and in print is a representation of who we are. In order to elevate the issues and conversations back to a level that most of us are at, shouldn’t we all be more pro-active in demanding that accountability from our journalists?
1 comment:
I agree with President Obama's statement and also your observation that journalists have responsibility to hold the bar high for themselves and their colleagues.
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