This post is a rant and a request. Sunday morning news shows, I watched CNN, NBC, and ABC’s today. In these dangerous times, I could not be more disappointed in the caliber of the interviews and the missed follow-ups which left the narrative from the Republicans at least plausible.
I won’t go into details on any specific question and answer. After all, the entire shows bordered on a complete abdication of journalistic duty. Suffice it to say that the journalism of the past cannot work in an environment littered with think tanks that design responses catered to the modus operandi of old orthodoxy.
Sunday morning news shows, dereliction of duty
It is no longer possible to just accept answers quoting studies from think tanks. Politicians and specifically conservative politicians via their benefactors are well able to get scientists to sell their souls to lie or mislead on studies. Climate change, trickle-down economics, the efficacy of teaching safe sex, etc. are no longer debatable. We allow politicians the ‘either-or’ debate in those precious hours that should be used to cover more issues of substance.
So what are citizens to do? Must we continue to accept this ineptitude? The answer is a resounding no. First, send emails to every network and complain about the shallowness of their coverage by pointing out specific failures on specific programs. (i.e., Chuck Todd accepted a deceptive answer on trickle-down economics on [date/time] speaking to John Peters. He should have asked in follow up ….. The truth is that trickle-down has been factually disproved hers [document]) We must flood them by email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If we challenge their credibility where the masses see, they will be forced to change.
Secondly, support independent media and bloggers that report a good information and opinions. They work on shoestring budgets and provide much better value. We can force a change.