Old Media Going Senile?
Jim Kouri, CPP
September 12, 2005
My original column for today was supposed to be about the thousands of illegal alien criminals recently captured by the US Border Patrol. But maybe that will be the subject of a future column. When I heard about the Drudge Report item that alleges CNN is stacking the deck against President Bush with regard to Hurricane Katrina, my reaction was first: There go the mainstream news media again. That reaction was immediately replaced by anger: How dare these people try to pull the wool over the eyes of Americans by actually creating the news or -- as one friend on the left said -- tweaking the news a bit. (Notice how the left enjoys using terms like that? Tweaking. Use it in a sentence: Senator Ted Kennedy is in a bar tweaking a young....)
A Matt Drudge's internet report quotes one of the Liberal-Left icons of print and broadcast journalism, Michael Kinsley, as saying, "The TV news networks, which only a few months ago were piously suppressing emotional fireworks by their pundits, are now piously encouraging their news anchors to break out of the emotional straitjackets and express outrage. A Los Angeles Times colleague of mine, appearing on CNN last week to talk about Katrina, was told by a producer to 'get angry.'"
This report exposes behavior that is perhaps even more egregious than Dan Rather and CBS News attempting to hoodwink the American people with forged documents that were harmful to President Bush's re-election campaign. At least they were able to disingenuously claim they may have been duped by a man with a vendetta against Bush. What possible excuse will CNN give for their deception?
Folks, CNN and the other mainstream news media organizations -- known in the blogosphere as the MSM -- are duping the American people, many of whom are too busy to analyze each and every news story. Unlike the left-wing activists, most Americans have jobs that require them to actually work. As a result, these working stiffs depend on the news media to inform them about what's happening in this nutty world in a short and concise manner. Even more serious is the fact that most people without a political agenda believe what our reporters are telling them and believe they are being told the whole truth. Not just the truth according to the political left and not just the truth according to the political right. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Editorializing and theatrics should be left to analysts and talk show hosts.
Unfortunately, most of these same hardworking Americans don't surf the internet looking for news and information. They rarely find out about CNN covering up for Saddam Hussein so they can keep their bureau chief in Iraq or CBS's legendary anchormen Dan Rather's connections with the Texas Democrat Party, where his daughter spends her time working as an activist. Ask the average American about the New York Times making up a slanderous story about Geraldo Rivera pushing a National Guard soldier out of the way to make himself look heroic, and chances are you'll get a blank stare. Better still, ask the average American about Jayson Blair or Steve Glass and you'll probably get the same reaction: who?
When the National Association of Chiefs of Police polled law enforcement executives and sheriffs across the United States, 92 percent stated they believed the mainstream news media are not fair and impartial in their news coverage. Ninety-two percent! And these are Americans who regularly deal with news reporters, some on a daily basis. When we at NACOP sent the poll results to the news media, most ignored it. They few who telephoned to ask questions argued that the question was vague. (Perhaps next poll we'll ask police chiefs and sheriffs, "Yes or no? The mainstream news media are a pack of big, fat liars." I venture a guess we'd still get 92 percent answering yes.)
Are the members of the news media dishonest. I hope not. I believe they may be getting senile, a pronounced symptom of old age. There's a new media in town. A much younger media. The internet, talk radio and, to a lesser degree, Fox News Channel are a threat to the old media, who are losing viewers and readers by the droves. And they are feebly fighting back. For instance, the old media -- the New York Times, CBS, CNN, etc. -- will tell Americans that Fox News is a mouthpiece for the right-wing. It's a lie. Fox allows conservatives, moderates and liberals to voice their opinions, report their stories and present their arguments. Is that a right-wing idea? Come to think of it, maybe it is.
So what will happen to CNN as a result of Michael Kinsley's and Matt Drudge's revelation? Nothing. Most of the denizens of our countries newsrooms will circle the wagons, make excuses, attack the critics and continue on their merry way.
A Matt Drudge's internet report quotes one of the Liberal-Left icons of print and broadcast journalism, Michael Kinsley, as saying, "The TV news networks, which only a few months ago were piously suppressing emotional fireworks by their pundits, are now piously encouraging their news anchors to break out of the emotional straitjackets and express outrage. A Los Angeles Times colleague of mine, appearing on CNN last week to talk about Katrina, was told by a producer to 'get angry.'"
This report exposes behavior that is perhaps even more egregious than Dan Rather and CBS News attempting to hoodwink the American people with forged documents that were harmful to President Bush's re-election campaign. At least they were able to disingenuously claim they may have been duped by a man with a vendetta against Bush. What possible excuse will CNN give for their deception?
Folks, CNN and the other mainstream news media organizations -- known in the blogosphere as the MSM -- are duping the American people, many of whom are too busy to analyze each and every news story. Unlike the left-wing activists, most Americans have jobs that require them to actually work. As a result, these working stiffs depend on the news media to inform them about what's happening in this nutty world in a short and concise manner. Even more serious is the fact that most people without a political agenda believe what our reporters are telling them and believe they are being told the whole truth. Not just the truth according to the political left and not just the truth according to the political right. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Editorializing and theatrics should be left to analysts and talk show hosts.
Unfortunately, most of these same hardworking Americans don't surf the internet looking for news and information. They rarely find out about CNN covering up for Saddam Hussein so they can keep their bureau chief in Iraq or CBS's legendary anchormen Dan Rather's connections with the Texas Democrat Party, where his daughter spends her time working as an activist. Ask the average American about the New York Times making up a slanderous story about Geraldo Rivera pushing a National Guard soldier out of the way to make himself look heroic, and chances are you'll get a blank stare. Better still, ask the average American about Jayson Blair or Steve Glass and you'll probably get the same reaction: who?
When the National Association of Chiefs of Police polled law enforcement executives and sheriffs across the United States, 92 percent stated they believed the mainstream news media are not fair and impartial in their news coverage. Ninety-two percent! And these are Americans who regularly deal with news reporters, some on a daily basis. When we at NACOP sent the poll results to the news media, most ignored it. They few who telephoned to ask questions argued that the question was vague. (Perhaps next poll we'll ask police chiefs and sheriffs, "Yes or no? The mainstream news media are a pack of big, fat liars." I venture a guess we'd still get 92 percent answering yes.)
Are the members of the news media dishonest. I hope not. I believe they may be getting senile, a pronounced symptom of old age. There's a new media in town. A much younger media. The internet, talk radio and, to a lesser degree, Fox News Channel are a threat to the old media, who are losing viewers and readers by the droves. And they are feebly fighting back. For instance, the old media -- the New York Times, CBS, CNN, etc. -- will tell Americans that Fox News is a mouthpiece for the right-wing. It's a lie. Fox allows conservatives, moderates and liberals to voice their opinions, report their stories and present their arguments. Is that a right-wing idea? Come to think of it, maybe it is.
So what will happen to CNN as a result of Michael Kinsley's and Matt Drudge's revelation? Nothing. Most of the denizens of our countries newsrooms will circle the wagons, make excuses, attack the critics and continue on their merry way.
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