The Giant Sucking Sound of 2008

As I read about Ann Coulter having her jaw wired shut, my thoughts turned to the election reporting and commentary. I realized that never in our history has so little been said with so many words. I also thought about how screaming has become an important part of our news process. I thought about several other self absorbed news show hosts or commentators who could use some time with their jaws wired shut. During the campaign, we watched as so called news reports became screaming editorials, politically based talk show hosts literally screamed for attention, and panel discussions became shouting matches. To take us even further from the truth, anger and fear tactics were thrown into the mix.

For many political pundits, the volume of the words became more important than the content or message. The votes became more important than the truth. The weapons of choice became smoke, mirrors and increased decibel levels. I once heard it said, 'You will often find that the louder the volume, the bigger the vacuum.' During this election, the giant sucking sound was not jobs crossing the border. The giant sucking sound was the sound of the "Media Bullies" trying to suck us in as they shouted down anyone with a different opinion who was willing to appear on their shows.

Part of the problem is that there are so many media outlets that the competition for attention has become ferocious. At the Democratic convention, it was estimated that there were around 4,000 participants and 15,000 media related people in attendance. I never heard the figures, but I am sure there was a similar ratio at the Republican event. That disproportionate number of reporters chasing limited truths explains why Joe the Plumber got his 15 minutes of fame. Joe might be a nice guy but he is not news.

The media glut created a situation where those covering the campaign felt it necessary to give us news 25/8. The extra hour each day and day each week were being used to invent or embellish stories that often weren't newsworthy. I am sure you remembered them. We often saw them displayed under a banner that said BREAKING. NEWS. What was presented to us as news was often as much fiction and fantasy as it was news.

The campaign circus has finally ended and the serious business of moving our country forward has begun. We need the media to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem. Anyone can scream about a problem but the wise discuss the solution. For the sake of our country and our sanity, I have four requests directed to all the so called reporters and political pundits.

1. Get involved in a hands on fashion to help change a life. Your words can help but nothing compares to giving of your time and talents.

2. Stop spinning and go back to reporting the news. We need you to provide us with untwisted truths.

3. Spend your time searching for and reporting on possible solutions, not distortions.

4. Stop screaming! Screams that lack facts and information create a loud yet empty silence that is deafening.

Comments

[RogerRantjet]

So many points are raised here that I agree with. The 24/7 cable operations ( notice I avoid calling them "news" stations) more often CREATE the stories rather than report the known facts as they actually happen. It's nothing more than endless speculation and rumor-chasing trotted out by small armies of supposed "experts" who are apparently standing by around the clock to instantly offer their opinions on any given non-event or the senseless tragedy du jour. They then proceed to beat any story so far into the ground that you can't stand it anymore...­even though it may be important.

That "BREAKING NEWS" gimmick has long overstayed its welcome or usefulness. ALL news is "breaking" news, is it not? Now they even go so far as to have specially designed graphic logos and freakin' THEME music for any story that lasts for more than a few hours. It got truly sickening when I first saw CNN come up with a regularly scheduled show called "The Week At War" or some such nauseating nonsense. That says a lot about the culture that has been created for us by these twisted ghouls.

[Tom Gerdy - Huffpost Blogger]

I hope that the campaign debacle we just suffered through has awakened the proverbial sleeping giant. The system certainly didn't evolve into this, it degenerated into this partly because became disgusted and quite paying attention. At the risk of being accused of resting on my laurels, I want to direct you to two pieces in the Huffington Post archive under my name. I blamed it a while back on Ted Turner in a piece called 'It's All Ted Turners Fault, or Stop That Bronco'. I also would like to direct you to my answer for the everybody throw their hat in and let's spend a billion dollars to elect a president problem. There is a piece called, 'Hey Brother Can You Spare a Billion.'

[3fingerbrown]

Tom, I'm not quite sure what "campaign debacle" you refer to.

Both parties, after an exhaustive winnowing process, put forth whom they thought to be their strongest candidate. One candidate handled the circumstances within his control beautifully and used the circumstances out of his control (like the economy) to his advantage. The other did not.

Along the way, there was all kinds of bullshit and misinformation circulated in the media--as has been the case in U.S. politics since the days of the founding fathers--and this time, happily, the American people were not buying it, whether it was Joe the plumber, Obama the secret terrorist, or similar nonsense. After two years' constant exposure to a wide range of candidates from both parties, a well-informed citizenry went to the polls in record numbers and the best man who ran the best campaign won, fair and square.

Despite all of the media's bogus "breaking news" and toxic commentary, this election proved that as the average citizen becomes increasingly media savvy, it's becoming more difficult for a candidate to be swift-boated than it was just four years ago. We could use more such debacles.

[Tom Gerdy - Huffpost Blogger]

The debacle I am referring to is the way the media tried to sell it. Instead of reporting news, they tried to create news.

[meede]

An FYI about having mouth wired shut -- It doesn't stop you from talking. I know. Due to surgery wired for 10 weeks. Back to work in less than 2 weeks after surgery. Three lawyer firm -- one admin support -- me!! The only thing being wired stops you from doing is eat solid food.

[Tom Gerdy - Huffpost Blogger]

Meede,

Why did you have to burst our bubble? The image of AC not being able to spout off was a good one. I guess the fantasy is usually better than the reality.

[WritingFrontier]

Yes, enough of 2008 already. It's time for Horoscope 2009. See

http://saturdaymorningpost.com/horoscope-2009/

[pfc1369]

Why do so many of the commentors here not understand the differrence between reporting the news and commentary?

Both are still available, though admittedly what passes for commentary becomes more lame brained, if not brain dead, by the hour.

[Nickesq]

We need a media that investigates and uncovers facts, not reports propaganda. We need to hear the full range of opinion, not just center and right of center and far right. Keith and Rachel generally bring new information to the table, but there is insufficient follow through. Healthcare for example. Keith reported a study by Mathematica that showed a 13% cost increase, paid by taxpayers, when Bush privatized certain Medicare functions, allowing private health insurance companies to "manage" them. Yet the Washington Post recently reported on healthcare alternatives without a word about a universal single payer alternative. Steffie Woolhandler of the Harvard Medical School has written at length about the added costs (with no added benefits) of for-profit health care. The public is not getting complete information on this topic, which is critically important to each of us personally. A larger question underlying healthcare, the current economic bail outs and the development of new energy is the private - public roles. Are there some aspects of the economy and our community life that cannot and should not be operated on a for-profit basis? Water? Energy? We rarely, if ever, get the facts or a broad spectrum of opinion. Instead, we get shrink-wrapped "opinion" already formulated by the elites (including the media) that we can subscribe to. The bottom line is that the media have become celebrities among a political and economic elite that really does not want, and never wanted, citizen participation in any active sense.

[pithy]

The cable and radio "media" might want to reflect on the downhill slope their trajectory is taking - if screaming and over-talking each other garnered ratings this election, what will be needed next time around?

Americans are already bored with that level of combatancy - seen it, heard it, moving on to C-Span and PBS - or, for a different segment of the population, to a reality show with a little more cleavage.

Will the "media," in their never-ending search for barcolounger slugs unwilling to think, need to mud wrestle each other next? Throw things at each other? Walk off the stage in disgust - oh, wait - already been done on Fox.


Thank god for Bill Moyers, Gwen Ifill, and Jim Leher.

[applescruff]

Did it ever occur to some that the job of the media is ultimately present the facts and when those facts sometime reveal the stupididy and wrong headedness of a given side it becomes embarrassing for that side. They then scream how the media didn't present thier ignorance in a way that makes the public lap it up as they have so many times before. The American people have seen what the right has to offer. Why would they believe thier crap again?
The truth has always had a liberal slant to it.

[Lahonda]

There's a word: Propaganda - if you buy, you own it.

[nickwib]

For the most part journalism is gossip, an age-old human vice.

[Freesia2]

I wish they'd hear you Mr. Gerdy, but I think it would require them to hush long enough.

The 24 hours news cycle has become an end in itself and they really need to get back to the business of journalism. Reporting it, not instigating it, not participating in it.

And thank you for that observation about "Breaking News!". I called to complain a few years back when "Breaking News" stopped me cold but turned out to be Dan Rather rooting around in O.J.'s shrubs because there might, maybe, could be something in there. "Breaking News!" used to mean "Man landed on the moon!" now it was Dan landing in the hedges hoping he'd hit a story and I complained. I was informed that many people find that to be news. That was news to me. It's gone downhill from there.

Thanks for your thoughts. They're good ones. Good night and good luck. :-)

[meede]

I think every show on CNN lead in with "Breaking News" and reported the same speculation, personal opinions and lies from the 10 previous shows they aired that day. It was repeatitive. It was disgusting. As far as 'real' news -- it dropped off the face of the earth. Much the same as CNN has been covering India this week. They become 24/7 fixated. At least Obama had a few days rest!! Nobody was reporting he blew his nose for 3 days!!!

[redneckliberalpostbush]

Someone please tell me why Ann Coulter, Peggy Noonan, Faux news and AL QUEDA are all whining about left wing media bias in favor of Obama and against the GOP?? WTH?

[jbl inAZ]

Requests 2 and 3 especially!

[RFDAmerica]

What is an unbiased report, exactly? The problem with what you propose is that this isn't the 20th century. Things have changed. I would say evolved, but the technological convergence has happened so fast that it took is all by surprise. There is no such thing as unbiased media. If there ever was such an ideal, it is dead and buried, like Latin. Let it go.

[jotunloki]

Yeah just accept the fact that moneyed interests control at least 95% of the news media, while their minions scream about liberal media bias. It has nothing to do with "technological convergence".

[zanzig]

Tom, this was Journalism 101 when I went to uni 25 years ago; what are they teaching these reptiles these days?