The Narrative in News
You know what's been bugging me as of late? It's how political news is covered these days. It feels very much like watching a reality TV shows akin to The Bachelor or Survivor. It's not enough to report what the candidates are doing or presenting, but it now comes with a storyline. Right now the story is 'Sen. Hillary Clinton's Last Stand'. Now I have to be upfront and say that I do like Senator Clinton. I respect her, but I didn't support her in the California primary. However, I think she is being dealt a hand from a bad deck.
Yes it is true that Hillary is down in the delegate race, but it's only by one hundred delegates, and that isn't counting super delegates. She has a strong message that resonates with some, but when she is continually tied to this 'Last Stand' story as told by all the major cable networks it does damage to what it actually still a fairly close race.
This narrative in political news coverage really takes on an influence on an election. I think I understand why it's done. When a viewer is engaged to the storyline, they feel invested and maybe actually stick around past the commercials thus fulfilling the real purpose of the cable news networks...to get paid. So in their own interest to make money that thus infuse a storyline into what could have been a campaign about ideas and subjugate into an 'us versus them' struggle for survival in which the voters nominate the battered survivor for the run at the prize.
Comments
well, losing 11 straight doesn't exactly help.
but i do agree that it is a bit unfair that she's getting a bit steamrolled right now. maybe she could just get rickrolled.
then again, i also think she plays the political game, works the media as much as anyone, and so you have to take the good with the bad. i read a good article today about how she's getting hammered all over youtube right now because she hedged her comment on whether or not obama was muslim or not. she could have denounced and rejected (i'm stealing that) the idea that he's not a muslim because he's repeatedly affirmed his Xian faith. but, she said, "No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know." as far as you know? just fucking say no. and then bust the reporter for even asking such a bs question.
i'm thinking about a blog post for that article, but i'm already losing steam on it.
Posted by: ed | March 4, 2008 04:40 PM
Lefty - I totally agree with you about the game show aspect of the campaign. Moreover, there's just a lot of sexist crap, as I address here: http://blogs.timesunion.com/rogergreen/?p=21
Posted by: Roger Green | March 4, 2008 05:06 PM
Yeah, I'm an Obama man, but even watching from overseas, I have been astonished by how blatantly biased the media has been against Clinton - the British papers are even worse than the American ones! (An opinion piece yesterday was headlined "Good riddance Hillary" or somesuch.) It's by far the least objective I've seen the media be over a presidential candidate in the 20 years I've been paying attention at least...
Posted by: Nik | March 4, 2008 05:32 PM