by Mike Rosso
Only 18 Months to Go …
Would I be wrong to suggest that no matter your political leanings, we can all agree the national media is spending way too much time currently focusing on the 2016 U.S. presidential election?
We’re talking about an event taking place a year and a half from now, which will take most of us no more than five minutes to cast our ballots in. Until that time, billions of dollars will be spent – mostly with the same media that is currently hyping the race – and thousands of minutes of airtime and barrels of ink will be employed, not talking about the issues, but about the personalities and sound bites that come out of the “interviews” and speeches of those who have so far declared.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is also running in 2016 but is mostly ignored by the mainstream press, correctly points out the media bias against discussing issues and the media’s obsession with negative campaigning. It’s all a dog and pony show to them, but for us, the citizens of this country, it is an incredible disservice.
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Imagine a TV network actually taking the time to discuss, in depth and at length, the topics that really affect the average American – such as the current trade agreement being fought over, the Trans-Pacific Partnership – instead of personalities, missing airliners or unseemly gossip. Devoting resources to celebrity scandals is cheap and brings easy ratings, says Sanders, but researching, editing and delivering hard news is expensive, cutting into the almighty bottom line.
Sadly, most Americans get their national and world news from the television set, which is leading to a lack of knowledge of basic current events in our society. In fact, some are being spoon-fed just one point of view on a certain network owned by an Australian billionaire. Because of this, we are no longer that vaunted “informed electorate.” (Were we ever?) Too often we only vote for the worst of two evils, and I guarantee you, by early November of next year, we’ll be so sick of hearing about Clinton and Bush (or whoever wins that comic car race), that we’ll be relieved to pull the lever and have it be over. Then, after a brief lull, the campaign for 2020 will rev right back up again.
Cheers!
