One periodically reads news stories of spokespersons for Donald Trump going on news talk shows (other than Fox News) and then being taken to task by the hosts for their evasions or lying. “That’s great!” you think, someone is finally telling it like it is to these people. But Michelle Wolf, in a very good segment, exposes this for the charade it is. It is all a game played by the media and politicians and their spokespersons to provide entertainment to the rubes, with the same scenario played out over and over again.
Mano Singham
Just another Freethought Blogs site
It turns out that the price of a journalist’s soul is access.
@Marcus, No. 1
This is a primary reason why I finally left traditional publishing back in the ’90s.
Wow… I couldn’t take her strident voice for more than a minute. And the fake (well, cued, probably) laughter always drives me nuts. Apart from that, it was pretty good!
I think she touched on a major factor in a majority of political problems we see today: the public’s need, and th desire of the media to feed our need for entertainment. Trump, IMHO, got elected because a whole lot of people love drama. Billions of dollars of free and favorable coverage was given to Trump simply because media executives were sure he would crash and burn and that that would make for great ratings. The coverage was favorable because being critical of someone right before they face-plant would look mean.
On the other side Hillary was both bland, people with their shit together tend to avoid drama, and a sure bet to win. Giving her any favorable coverage was boring and seen as going with the ‘establishment’. So throwing a little dirt her way was a way of proving you credentials as a ‘free thinker’ and independent. Her winning by a landslide was boring, expected, not entertaining, and certainly not the type of reporting that makes a career. A closer race is always more entertaining. It is not surprising that the expected winner got negative coverage and the long-shot coverage was much more favorable.
The end result is what we have now, the government and economy run by liars, sociopathic fanatics, and drama queens. People who cause and thrive of chaos. People who are working hard every day to make sure we, as the Chinese saying goes, ‘live in interesting times’.
It is, by design, intended to capture eyeballs, stimulate conversation, and become ‘must-see’ TV. It is all very entertaining.
hyphenman@#2:
This is a primary reason why I finally left traditional publishing back in the ’90s.
I hope it has worked out for you.
I went to a talk by Bob Woodward, once, and he said something like that he had gone from being an outsider to an insider. And that was when I wondered if he was feeling a twinge of regret for his soul; it’s like having a tooth pulled -- you can’t stop being aware that you sold it.
@Marcus No. 5
In fact, my decision has worked very well for me,thank you.
And you’re absolutely right about Woodward.
The model that any journalist should aspire to is that epitomized by I.F. Stone, Mike Royko, Seymour Hersh and Roldo Bartimole.