A Plea to All the Networks: Let’s Take ‘Fair and Balanced’ Seriously

Many of us who do not buy into the poisonous message of the American right, fueled by the very wealthy and their unwitting dupes among the less well-to-do, have cause to be dismayed by the way the commercial broadcast networks have been covering the 2012 elections-particularly the presidential campaign.

I will grant them, it is very easy to fall into the trap they have indeed fallen into. On one hand, we have an incumbent Democratic president, against whom no Democrat with any possible pretentions to the White House plans to run. Translation: at this point Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is not news.

This also works against him in the polls. People unsatisfied with our economy and our distressing jobless rate have Mr. Obama as a convenient target for their frustration. At this point, the essential presidential poll, to many people’s way of thinking, is not Obama vs. an unnamed Republican, but unemployment vs. something else. Maybe that something else is yet even worse unemployment, but we don’t know that yet, do we? This situation cannot be helped, and we cannot blame the media for it. Still, there is another situation I can and do blame them for.

Among the Republicans, there is a vigorous and seemingly endless debate over which of them will get to be Mr. Obama’s opponent in the 2012 presidential race. Of course, these debates are an important and necessary part of the process. A good debate, at whatever level, in which the candidates must spontaneously address themselves to difficult issues that most trouble the voters, is so much more valid a measurement of a candidate’s worth than the slew of lying, vicious attack ads that will soon flood the airwaves, there is absolutely no comparison.

The problem lies in the collateral coverage that centers around the debates and the debaters. This past Sunday, I had occasion to watch all of “Face the Nation” and most of “Meet the Press.” For the most part, the guests were Republicans with a strong interest in the nomination process. I should point out, those two shows were not the only instance of Republican-dominated coverage in this area. Yes, there is no denying that process is newsworthy, especially with the first contests, in Iowa and New Hampshire, coming up so soon. Still, that does not justify the networks unbalancing the scales as they have.

In the process of seeming to debate one another, these candidates and their proxies get one free and unchallenged opportunity after another to trash the present administration, and they do. Nowhere in this process do the Democrats get a chance to fight back.

Am I asking that the media turn away from what is undoubtedly a major story? Am I saying it does not matter who the Republican nominee will be? No, I am not saying either of those things. Sure, let us continue to discuss this process. All I am suggesting is that we get some of the opposition’s perspective on it. Let us hear more about what Democratic leaders think of Mitt Romney’s flip-flopping, Herman Cain’s selfish and economically unworkable “999” plan, Rick Perry’s appalling lack of compassion or Michele Bachmann’s questionable grip on reality.

Let us give some articulate Democratic spokesperson a chance to put the present economic situation into proper historical perspective. Republicans are all-too-eager to crow that the present-day situation is strictly of Mr. Obama’s making, and that he has been in office too long to put the blame on George W. Bush. Let somebody point out that, while the Republicans were only around long enough to launch the Great Depression, it took Franklin D. Roosevelt, now recognized as one of our greatest presidents, almost two entire terms to undo the damage they had done through their thoughtless laissez-faire economic policies. And, at that, he had a far more cooperative Congress than Mr. Obama has today.

Some among my admittedly-limited readership may despise the obvious hostility I show to the American right wing, and they are certainly entitled to their opinions. That said, the issue is not what one crackpot contributor thinks of the political situation, but whether the full spectrum of political discourse is getting its proper exposure in the media. At this juncture in our history, it clearly is not.

Sources

“Face the Nation,” broadcast of November 6, 2011

“Meet the Press,” broadcast of November 6, 2011

Own observation


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