Clearing Brush
This ABC video breaks the little press secretary heart in me. Not only is President Bush on yet another vacation. Not only is the traveling press corps sitting around Crawford, TX doing nothing. Now ABC has tried to turn the press—and their tedious adventures in Crawford—into a story.
ABC: What do you do between stories?
BLOOMBERG REPORTER: I write poetry. You know, short form… and haiku.
Democrats generally don’t like attacking the press; I think we have a stronger than average belief in the institution and its possibilities. But this kind of nonsense shakes the confidence, no?
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that in spite of the revolutions in broadband technology and 24-hour cable, Americans aren’t noticeably better informed about current affairs.
Democrats could do well to be both stronger advocates for a better press corps and to train our grassroots advocates to take full advantage of the avenues out there for influencing the mainstream media. Democracy for America’s Night School provides an excellent tool kit for reaching the media. It’s clear that even ABC is badly in need of material.
Comments
"But this kind of nonsense shakes the confidence, no?"
Assuming there was any to begin with, I suppose it might.
I'm not sure it's necessarily an "attack" on the media to point out genuine shortcomings like this. But I would argue that there's an additionally misguided "trust" in the media to essentially 'do the right thing' and report things in a truthful way that will presumably bury the GOP and embolden us Dems. That's not only misinformed from the nature of the profession of journalism, but also from the post-Watergate history of larger, more institutional variations.
PS - great to see you back in the blogosphere!
Posted by: gregwythe![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org/strategist/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 22, 2007 12:35 PM