These days, life can be lonely if a person is a political
moderate. Many of us tend to be Independents who do not fit inside the tents of
the Democratic and Republican parties.
This loneliness was especially acute during the last couple
of weeks when both parties held their national conventions. I could not bring
myself to watch much of either of them, but I tried.
Both conventions were basically useless when it came to
finding substance. Gone are the days when these events produced genuine news,
and they are now reduced to nothing but glorified pep rallies. They are
infomercials in which people wearing fancy clothes try to convince us that our
problems are not their fault.
It would be an overused cliché to state the two parties are
like 10-year-olds on the playground pointing their fingers at the other
refusing to take blame. Then again, cliches often earn that status because they
speak the truth.
This loneliness is further intensified when Independents
search the mainstream media looking for evenhanded and reliable political
analysis. We live in an age where bias is not only tolerated but encouraged
when it comes to presenting information.
This is especially true when getting information from the
major television news networks, and many of them were in rare form during the
conventions. It was predictable which network praised and criticized
candidates.
Most of the primetime programming on these networks falls
into the category of political analysis and commentary. Under these rules, it
is acceptable to present opinion and be critical of specific candidates and
policies.
However, when certain broadcasters repeatedly fall on one
side of a party or candidate it becomes easy to identify their ideology and
personal agenda. This is where it becomes dangerous for the average viewer because
if they only watch a limited amount of programs, then they are exposed to
information presented from one point of view.
During the conventions, some of these news outlets toted the
predictable party lines. For example, MSNBC is indisputably in the back pocket of
the Democrats and especially President Obama when it comes to its primetime
programming.
Too often, broadcasters there rely on emotional techniques when
discussing issues and sometimes inject race into debates. The most frequent
users of this technique are Chris Matthews and Al Sharpton. When discussing
opponents of the president, they inject racial bias as a factor much too much.
I understand that racism is a significant problem in our
country, and I have no doubt that it is a factor when it comes to some
opponents of the president. There can be no questioning that and for those who
feel otherwise, I feel they are being naïve if they do not acknowledge our
racial divide.
Still, the frequency in which Matthews and Sharpton use race
makes it come across as a power play rather than being legitimately concerned
about our nation’s racial climate. I believe the reason more white people do
not discuss race is because of a fear of being branded racist if they make a
misstatement. Therefore, it becomes easier to just avoid the topic. Because of
this, Matthews and Sharpton really are not helping.
On the other side, FOX News has people such as Sean Hannity
who has no inhibitions when it comes to throwing around terms like ‘liar’ when
describing the president. Don’t get me wrong, it is perfectly acceptable to
criticize policies or candidates. However, inflammatory name calling really
does no good.
In addition to Hannity, there can be no questioning that FOX
presents information from a perspective leaning to the right. Therefore, it is
important to understand that when listening.
Accepting information can be tricky so choose wisely.
No comments:
Post a Comment