June 8, 2016
I sat last night, and watched in disbelief as MSNBC and
other news outlets disenfranchised millions of voters by announcing Hillary
Clinton as the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Presidential Party. This election season has given pause to
thinking Americans. The system is broken. We must do something to bring this democracy
back into balance.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a Hillary supporter. I was pretty
sure she was going to win. Those who had been doing the math expected this as
the final outcome. But to call it before millions have even had the opportunity
to cast their vote is a total overreach on the part of the media.
This last turn of events is only one in a long list of
perversions to the election process that, I believe, is fueled by the media and
threatens our very freedom. First there was the 11-ring circus that was the
Republican Primary where the multiplicity of voices gave rise to the carnival
barker that is Donald Trump.
Had the Republicans been able to field an array of qualified
candidates who intelligently debated the serious issues that face our country,
we might have gotten a serious presidential contender that offered a realistic
alternative to the Democratic nominee. Instead, we got a presidential primary
reality series orchestrated by a television personality whose arrogance is
superseded only by his proclivity to lie and misrepresent both himself and his
opponents. This was facilitated by the media who used the entertainment value
of a Donald Trump candidacy to boost ratings, with little thought given to the
impact of this free coverage on the democratic process. No other candidate could
have afforded to buy the time that was freely given to Trump to espouse his stupidity,
hatred, bigotry and racism, which unfortunately, was embraced by millions of
Republicans.
For ratings, the media allowed Trump to suck up all the air
in the room, leaving no space for thoughtful, meaningful debate. Each news day
has been dominated by his most recent outrageous antics, with few media
questioning either the veracity or the news worthiness of his statements. Now,
in the 11th hour, some media have stepped up to challenge Trump, but
it is too little, too late.
And then there is the Democratic Primary. Neither Bernie nor
Hillary has gotten much attention, until now. Oh, there was momentary coverage
when someone attacked Hillary for this, that or the other. Bernie got some
airtime when he claimed unfairness in the Democratic Party Primary process, but
for the most part, neither has received much media play as it relates to their
basic platform.
For the media, it is all about personality and perception…seldom
about substance. If it is not about Benghazi, emails or Bill—if it doesn’t
involve raging against the system or millennials who are disenchanted with the
status quo, then it’s just not going to get airtime. Media coverage has focused on what separates
us, what vexes us rather than issues that will impact our future and determine
our path in a world facing many serious challenges.
Our nation must address issues associated with global
warming, nuclear threats, social unrest, aging seniors, childcare, equality for
women, minorities and others outside social norms. We have no time for “must see TV.”
The freedoms given the media were provided to ensure the
free exchange of ideas, a fundamental tenet of a free society. As one trained
as a journalist, I understand the sacred nature of this provision in our
Constitution. But what the modern day media has done with the freedoms afforded
it by our Constitution is nothing short of sacrilegious.
I certainly fear government intrusion into the inner
workings of the media. But somehow, someone must determine what is true
journalism and what is entertainment. It is, I believe, unethical for the media
to cause millions of Americans to feel that their votes are irrelevant. When
ratings become more important than democracy…when being the first to break a
story is more important than the impact that breaking news will have on
millions of Americans, it appears to me that the media have fallen short of the
lofty expectations of our Founding Fathers.
In journalism school they taught us that there were some
situations where it was not alright to speak. We don’t generally print the
names of rape victims, or children involved in crimes. We don’t broadcast the
name of a murder or accident victim before the family is notified. We don’t
yell “fire” in a crowded theater.
Isn’t that what happened last night? Could this announcement
not have waited until the polls closed today?
Of course it could, but not if you wanted to be first.
It is my prayer that those states casting their ballots
today will not be deterred by media whose desire for ratings is the sum total
of what they have become. I hope that voters cast their ballots despite the
unethical, ratings hungry behavior of some media. Every vote counts, regardless
of what the media says. It must for our democracy to stand.
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