Nov 26 2008
Let’s Blame the Media!!
A common cry heard after many elections is that a candidates poor performance was the result of biased media coverage. While there is often some substance to these claims, the real blame lies with the consumer, not the media. As the saying goes, “Don’t Shoot the Messenger”.
In this day and age, we should all realize that certain media outlets have certain political leanings. While it is getting more difficult to easily find unbiased coverage, it is certainly not an impossible task.
50 years ago, when there was a finite number of media outlets, newspapers, radio stations, etc., the public was often asked to simply take what was presented at face value. With literally thousands of options available to people, this simpy is not the case anymore.
The only people who are swayed by the particular coverage of an event or candidate are those who choose to be so easily swayed. The bottom line is that if I like candidate or party A, then news coverage I find that shares my views, I will be more inclined to “believe”. If I think candidate or party B is better, then I will be more drawn towards media that shows them in a positive light.
Ultimately, many of the gaffes committed by a politician are what they are. By this I mean that if you’ve goofed, you can bet that your critics are going to pounce all over it, and your supporters will try to downplay it. That’s just the nature of politics, as any politician can attest.
