Tag: media

Focusing election coverage

Buried in an interesting analysis piece in today’s Washington Post on demographic trends among voters in the Democratic primaries is this comment from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on what this election is about.

“Voters in my state will not care about who won Iowa, New Hampshire, or this Washington Post-created Potomac Primary that is supposed to be a microcosm of America,” he said. “Political momentum doesn’t much matter to a middle-class family that’s struggling.”

While he was talking about the candidates and what they need to focus on, I think it could stand as a reminder to political journalists of what is important and what they should focus on in their coverage.

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Celebrity death and the failures of journalism

The coverage of the death of actor Heath Ledger offers an almost textbook example of the failings of modern journalism.

I’m not talking about the out-of-proportion coverage or the obsession with celebrity and celebrity failings that drive stories like this. I’m talking about something more ingrained in the way we do our jobs these days, a methodology that contributes to the sloppy work of most journalists and helps explain why public opinion polls have consistently shown Americans to have little respect for the profession.

Ledger, one of the stars of “Brokeback Mountain,” died Tuesday. Initial “reports” were that the death was drug related and that he may have been found at a friend’s apartment. Later “reports” placed him at his own New York City residence. “Reports” said he called his latest girlfriend, that he overdosed, that he was a troubled soul — some of which has proven to be accurate, though most turned out to be nothing more than speculation. The stories — on television, in newspapers such as The New York Post and the New York Daily News — offered vague attributions like “detectives close to the investigation,” “law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity,” etc.
And that’s the crux of my criticism. Watching MSNBC this morning as a ran on the treadmill, I was struck by how much information was provided about Ledger’s death and how little of it was attributed. Reading the Post this morning was the same.
Given what I do for a living, I tend to be skeptical of the “sources say” construction — as I ask my reporters, “what sources?” Who are these people, why are they speaking anonymously and why are we letting them? Why should the reader believe they even exist?

Anonymous sources are sometimes necessary, such as when information that is important for the public good is disclosed by someone who might face retribution for revealing it. I think of whistle blowers whose jobs — or even lives — could be imperiled by their decisions to come forward and disclose safety hazards or public corruption. There are other instances in which quoting an anonymous source makes sense.

But a general prohibition against using anonymous sources is probably a good idea, because it forces news organizations to justify anonymity each time it comes up. And each case should be justified both internally and to the reader.

Anonymous sources have a long and mixed history, but I have the sense that they are being used to a greater degree these days and with less thought. The reason for this — or at least part of the reason — is the growing sense among news organizations that they always be first. It creates an imperative among reporters to sacrifice accuracy and responsibility, to do almost anything they need to do, quote anyone, offer anyone anonymity, in an effort to get the story before the competition, or , at the very least, not to be left behind in the race.

The fact is, journalists in general need to take a step back and start asking questions about what they do and why they do it and then incorporate those answers in to the way we do our jobs. It is our only hope if we are to regain the public trust that is necessary for us to play our role in the democratic process.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

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Joe loves Rudy

I meant to post this video yesterday — just happened to catch it while running on the treadmill — but had some early computer problems and then forgot.

It’s an interview with Rudy Giuliani by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski that essentially is a love letter to the former New York mayor. Pay particular attention to the rapt attention Brzezinski pays to Lord Mayor of 9/11 and the way Scarborough puts his adulatory statements into the form of a question. Yuck.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

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Executive envy

Daily Kos has a post today that debunks another sloppy bit of insider babble from Washington Post columnist David Broder. Broder makes the claim that voters prefer executive experience in their presidents to those without — even though there is no evidence that this is the case.

It’s true that few Senators have been elected President, but it’s more likely that Senators—especially prior to the advent of national fundraising for Senate candidates in recent decades—just have too much baggage to win elections. There are so many things “they actually did vote for” before they voted against it that there’s plenty to pull out of their record. Plus, being an “outsider” free of the “taint” of politics as usual in Washington, DC often explains the success of governors in national elections at least as much as executive experience.

There is something else worth pointing out: Few, if any of those elected (aside from George W. Bush, and we know how that worked out) ran as competent managers. In fact, the only one to do so that I can remember was Michael Dukakis — who drove his tank off a cliff during the general election.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

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Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.