he other day I was browsing the headlines on my homepage when my attention was caught by a stunning pronouncement; “Ronald Reagan Restored Faith in America”. The singular fact of an opinion piece given a banner headline is, regardless of the ideological leanings, a major point in the decline of American democracy. But beyond the media commentary, the piece intrigued me. The writer of the column, Ed Rollins, is one of the few political operators still in the game who worked for our 40th President. While I have no major issues with someone writing from a position of love and loyalty, the tenor of the column, and the tone of today’s political debate, raise some interesting questions.
Posts filed under Media
On Journalism, Olbermann, And The Corporate Media
One week ago today, Keith Olbermann recorded his last words as the host of Countdown. The very minute he left frame, the blogosphere and Twitter world caught fire as millions expressed shock, sadness, anger, and for the conservatives of the nation, delight. Conspiracy theories raged across the ether as corporate giant Comcast, whose merger with NBC technically started that day, was assumed to have ordered K.O.’s firing. Supporters quickly drew a line from Olbermann’s axing to Comcast and thence to the Citizen’s United ruling by the Supreme Court one year prior. Boycotts of MSNBC and NBC were planned and indeed demanded.
Science, Celebrity, And The Media
When an ex-Playmate and her comedian domestic partner however, raised the alarm based on one exceptionally flawed research paper, vaccination rates for newer diseases and in some high-risk communities fell. The medical community, fueled by a rigorous ethic of peer-reviewed reporting on long-term clinical studies, has managed to steadily control or destroy major diseases that, as recent as 60 years ago, devastated communities. This history slid to the background after Dr. Andrew Caulfield did a study of 12 children whose parents reported behavioral problems after they received vaccines. Jenny McCarthy and the good doctor believed that the parent’s association of behavioral difficulties and the MMR vaccine constitutes proof of a causal relationship between the two. Many parents around the world seem to have agreed with the pair.
Mike On Sports: Curious Standards And The NFL
Two quarterbacks in the NFL today epitomize this concept. Brett Favre, while undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, was anointed by the sports media after quarterbacked the Packers back to greatness. Jason Campbell, the former Redskin and current Raider quarterback, has not received such benediction from the sports media elite. The differences between the two, in terms of media coverage, fan treatment, and league perception are evident. To be clear, these two players have very different histories, but the NFL is certainly a “what have you done for me lately” league.
Much Ado About Nothing
With Mrs. Palin, I understand some of the reporting. If she purports to continue her political career, it is the responsibility of political journalists to cover her professional activities. But her activities on Facebook and Twitter ought to be left out of normal coverage. Record those statements to be sure, they become relevant if and when she declares a candidacy; but leave her out of the daily rundowns. The paradox of her coverage is that many who report her sometimes outlandish statements are motivated to do so out of a sense of righteous indignation. In covering the former governor, they give her the kind of publicity and public platform that usually takes huge amounts of money to maintain.
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