Barack Obama is a president who has no problem playing the media game.
From allowing two dozen NBC cameras access for a largely complimentary, two-night profile, to a lighthearted cameo in Stephen Colbert's week of shows from Iraq, Obama has shown a willingness to appear on camera in ways more traditional presidents have not.
But news that President Obama will discuss his new initiative to create a government-sponsored health care program during a day-long series of programs on ABC next week takes a universal concern and transforms it into a highly-promoted ABC News event.
Which raises a question: Is that really appropriate?
For President Obama, it's a nice deal. ABC News plans to air Good Morning America, World News Tonight and a special edition of Primetime from the White House itself, with the 10p.m. Primetime show featuring the President answering questions from people "selected by ABC News who have divergent opinions in this historic debate," along with questions submitted via its Web site, ABCNews.com, according to a press release.
ABC officials, with the elevated ratings of Brian Williams' White House special dancing in their heads, will turn almost every ABC News platform over to the event, with Diane Sawyer interviewing the president for GMA, Charlie Gibson anchoring the evening news from the White House, both Gibson and Sawyer teaming up for the town hall on Primetime, Nightline continuing the discussion at 11:35 p.m., ABC.com soliciting questions starting Wednesday and ABC News Radio airing segments from the event. Just writing about that much coverage tires me out.
Given the light touch of Williams' specials, will ABC News offer the kind of tough questions this debate deserves? Shouldn't the White House have organized its own town hall for broadcast on all major networks in prime time, to give this issue the attention it deserves? Will networks which offer critical coverage of the heath care initiative have to worry about getting locked out of the next big Obama media event?
Those involved would likely shrug off such hand-wringing. And it is admittedly dangerous to draw conclusions about what a TV news operation will cover before any of its programming airs.
But I find it disturbing to see that the nation's first stab at real health care reform in more than a dozen years may start off with a cynical partnership between a politician and a network news division. And it may take some pointed questions and close observation of ABC News' coverage to ensure
Here's hoping the debate we get is truly worth it.
See more discussion about the issue on my blog here.
Someday "maybe" Americans will get fed up & take to the streets like the Iranians & resist OUR "CORPORATE" MULLAHS!!!
Four pages, no details. Sounds like their budget plan. Maybe it IS their budget plan!
I like Charlie Gibson. He is a fair and wise journalist. As is Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts and the rest of the Good Morning America team...
why is there a need for a DEBATE on healthcare???
67% of Americans have ALREADY MANDATED they want SINGLE PAYER or PUBLIC OPTION...end of story!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/17/obama-boost-new-poll-show_n_217175.html
in other words, not much different than what we have but the packaging will be nice!
If a person wanted to launch a take-over of a country, seducing the major media, one by one, would be a good start.
He already got NBC; now ABC--and the issues, of course, will be clouded and interpreted by the same old talking heads "explaining" and "judging:" everything for us. That alone will keep me from watching; I'll look for written text.
Thomas Jefferson thought free and independent information/news was essential for a Democracy.
We are rapidly losing that.
Health care reform is too important to trivialize as a "day time TV" event.
Give us the facts of your plan without the spin.
I think you and the grand oppositional party are the ones who want to take over the country, the supreme courts didn't select this President, America did after he campaigned on everythign he is suggesting now, you will not revise history here so bodly and incompetently, I think your confusing 2008 with 2000.
Have you forgot the march to Iraq, and the lies that proceeded it?, get over yourself?
How exactly did some Insurance company lobby convince you that their strictly for profit model will work or has worked more so in the best interests of the citizens of America than the democratic process, you're a ignorant sheep, every big insurance company in the country utilize "comparative effectiveness" research and electronic records to reduce their cost, but do you think that any savings "trickle down" to reductions in your premiums, think again, they don't, so wake up and think for yourself, a public plan option would make them have to, know one wants to bankrupt the insurance industry, but public service is not in their business strategy.
Ignore the rhetoric, follow the money