Jon Stewart points out the sad state of news media
Once again the traditional mainstream media gave Jon Stewart ample material to put their ineptitude on display. On the same day that Marco Rubio declared his run for the Republican nomination for the presidency of the United States with his big speech, Hillary Clinton stopped at a Chipotle to order a burrito bowl. Guess which act got first billing? Hillary Clinton’s stop at Chipotle was the headline.
The different networks created a number of superfluous stories around that one stop. What did she order? She ordered a chicken burrito with black beans. Another station commenting on her getting an ice tea. Fox News complained. She displayed a lack of transparency because she is driving around in a ‘secret mobile’. She is not relatable. She goes into Chipotle ‘dressed up’.
Marco Rubio gave a compelling speech irrespective of one’s ideology when he declared his candidacy. Yet, most in the media concentrated on Hillary Clinton’s lunch.
It is no longer surprising when the traditional mainstream media news provide flub as oppose to news. Long gone are the days when the evening news was populated by men and women that brought gravitas that Americans could trust. ABC’s Ted Koppel, NBC’s Tom Brokaw, CBS’s Dan Rather, CNN’s Bernard Shaw, and PBS’s Judy Woodruff are no longer mainstays. Sadly Chris Wallace chose a station, Fox News, that likely has his father spinning in his grave. At least their is still Democracy Now‘s Amy Goodman.
Jon Stewart continues holding the traditional mainstream media to task. He called out the media for making Bill O’Reilly’s ‘war record’ lies an issue while not calling out much more substantive lies he tells in his No Spin Zone, lies that actually hurt society.
Jon Stewart called out the media for giving an inordinate amount of time to the Brian Williams war story lies in Iraq. These are the same outlets that failed at doing their due diligence for the big lie that got America into the Iraq war. He mocked the mainstream media for giving a platform to the same neocons that lied America into war. He even mocked the inability of the media to report on Israel’s misdeeds.
The traditional mainstream media must no longer be considered ones singular point of news acquisition. After all, they provide a minute subset of national news. Their international news is worse as they give Americans a false impression of the world. This is dangerous. It is tantamount to having Americans live in a bubble of ignorance.
So what is the solution? Instead of being fed news. Americans must seek out the news. Americans must establish spheres of trusted news that can be verified. These trusted sources must be shared. As the mainstream media find their relevancy dwindling, they may decide to reengage.
(h/t DailyShow)