So another possible reason that the media is so thoroughly fact-checking the McCain-Palin claims is that they're mad at the campaign. As we all know, Governor Palin has been kept virtually isolated from the media since her selection as Senator McCain's running mate. It appears the media has finally had enough of this and showed their displeasure at the UN today. The campaign managers were restricting access to the photo-op events and CNN threatened to boycott the event, taking away the only television coverage.
So, should the media be upset? I think so, and I think we all should be upset. America at large was introduced to Governor Palin with only 60 days to decide on her capabilities and qualities. We've known Senator McCain and Senator Biden for years. We've seen Senator Obama being grilled by his opponents for eighteen months straight. But we have no way to gauge Governor Palin. She may be great. She may be incredibly gifted. But, We The People have the right to decide that for ourselves by watching her in the public spotlight. If she were truly competent, one would think she would be making appearance after appearance. The McCain-Palin campaign would be shoving her ability down our throats. The argument that the media might be unfair to her is not valid - a real (self-professed) bulldog would tear apart any interviewer who stepped out of line. Since they are choosing to hide her and protect her at every turn, it is hard to conclude that she is the competent woman they wish us to see. It is even harder to conclude that she should get our votes in any substantial way.
Probably every one of us knows what it's like to watch an interview of our favorite political villain and ask "How can you not ask about ?" Sometimes it can get pretty bad and your spouse has to remind you that the people on TV can't really hear you. And so you ask your spouse "But... how could they not ask about it?" This phenomena happens most often during election season when the politicians are taking their usual liberties with reality and the news people look the other way.
Something new has been happening lately during this election cycle. I noticed it shortly after Senator McCain picked Governor Palin as his running mate. The major media markets have been calling his and her bluffs. Not just the markets you would expect, either. Normally bland news outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and ABC are fact-checking the McCain-Palin claims.
I think it started with Governor Palin. Her "No thanks" claim for the Bridge to Nowhere has been challenged repeatedly and pretty well run to ground. Her trooper-gate claims are being challenged by ABC. And when Charles Gibson was hand-picked to give the first interview to Governor Palin, he did not give her the softball interview and "deference" the McCain campaign demanded. Now the NY Times is reminding us that while the McCain-Palin campaign has criticized Barack Obama for receiving donations from Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, McCain's own campaign manager earned $2 million as president of an advocacy group set up by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations. We've seen the Today Show question why John McCain rails against CEO's who are given golden parachutes while their employees are being laid off while one of his top advisors, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, received a $45 million golden parachute bailout while 20,000 Hewlett-Packard employees were laid off. And the low road approach of the McCain-Palin campaign has been criticized by numerous newspapers, including the International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, and even Karl Rove on FOX (though to be fair, Karl Rove also said that the Obama campaign has gone too far).
I take this as a sign that the media outlets are betting on an Obama win. There are some out there who believe that the liberal media are simply trying to ensure that Obama wins, but that doesn't take into account past behavior of letting similar claims slide. Nor does it take into account that major media outlets want to be on good terms with the victor, no matter who it is. That's just good business. There was a real change in the pre-Palin and post-Palin actions of the press. I suspect that the major media players were underwhelmed with the choice and believe that the Obama campaign can overcome her positive aspects to win.
If We The People are ever going to run this country as intended, we need to know what is going on. It isn't easy. People know of the "Fog of War," which is the haze of information preventing a military commander to see a situation clearly. Military commanders have access to a vast array of information, most of which is irrelevent, dubious, or deceptive. The most important information may be deliberately hidden. You and I are surrounded by a "Fog of Politics," which prevents us from seeing what is going on around us clearly. Thanks to the internet, we have access to a vast array of information, most of which is irrelevent, dubious, or deceptive. The most important information may be deliberately hidden.
Relying on the news media alone is not the answer. Corporations exist to make money and news corporations are no different. You already know this because you've seen the endless hours of coverage devoted to Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, or the latest missing (attractive, female) college student. You've noticed the distinct absence of air time devoted to details of the latest omnibus funding bill, or proposed revisions to the tax code, or in-depth pro and con discussions of US policy toward...well, toward anything. Paris, Britney, and the missing girl bring in the viewers and the ratings are the single most important thing. Things that really affect you are, oddly enough, not interesting enough for you to watch. There is a chicken-and-egg effect here. The networks provide us salacious stories masquerading as news in the belief that we'll watch and we confirm the belief by watching.
When real news is covered we are hardly better off. Coverage is kept at a top-level and the information is presented by advocates for one position or another instead of independent analysts. Their goal is to convince you, not inform you. We are forced to rely on the news anchors to "ask the tough questions" to "keep them honest." Of course, if they do ask the tough questions then notable guests would no longer appear on the show and ratings would plummet.
This is by no means a new discovery, but a reminder. And a twist. The inadequacies of the mainstream media is actually something liberals and conservatives can agree on. At least they can if they choose to. Liberals say the media is controlled by and voicing only conservative talking points and conservatives claim the media is filled with left-wing operatives spouting liberal positions. Conservatives claim that George Soros is the evil mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes. While liberals claim that Rupert Murdoch is the evil mastermind controlling the messages we are allowed to hear.
What liberals and conservatives can agree on is the need for trustworthy, unbiased sources of information. Maybe we should stop arguing about who's side the news is on and demand with a unified voice news that is not on anybody's side. That means educating ourselves a bit. Fact-check stories, even ones you agree with. Consider all stories, even ones you don't agree with. Watch channels and read online sources you normally wouldn't. It really doesn't take much effort; a quick google almost always does the trick to get a fuller picture of a news item. Waiting a few days for the news cycle to catch up with the facts can help, too. If a false story is ripping its way through the internet, post a polite (can't emphasize that enough) note and link to more factual information. It may mean voting with your feet to show that anything less is not tolerated.
Agreement on these kinds of issues may seem trivial, but it is important. People who have something in common are more apt to listen to each other, respect each other's views, and work together on the harder issues.
And for what it's worth, I have always been impressed with Christian Science Monitor news (link at left).
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