President-elect Obama & a Bright Moment in History
We have a new president-elect, and now we will rally and support him. This underdog candidacy turned historic win is a time for all Americans to unite as Senator John McCain urged in his concession speech last night. Senator Barack Obama ran an inspirational race and clinched a monumental win to become the 44th President of the United States of America.
Post-Election Crime Investigations
Despite the hope of our new leader, there are serious questions to answer in the wake of this campaign. There are investigations in more than a dozen states into ACORN for alleged voter fraud. No doubt there will be investigations into the online fundraising efforts of the Obama and McCain campaigns. Many believe the fundraising over the Internet allowed individuals to give the campaigns more than the federal limit by using prepaid credit cards. Also, there were no mechanisms in place to stop foreigners from donating online and trying to influence the U.S. election.
The Election Crime that Will Go Unpunished
The Election Crime that Will Go Unpunished
Any election crime is serious, but they all pale in comparison to what I believe in the biggest election crime of all. This crime was committed by that all-important 4th branch of government—the press. The crime—bias.
Our founding fathers instituted crucial First Amendment rights to ensure we had a free press to be the watchdog over government. Sadly today, the watchdog is often akin to a collegiate mascot cheering on one side.
Independent Research Proves Media Coverage is Biased
Our founding fathers instituted crucial First Amendment rights to ensure we had a free press to be the watchdog over government. Sadly today, the watchdog is often akin to a collegiate mascot cheering on one side.
Independent Research Proves Media Coverage is Biased
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, an independent research group, found that voters overwhelmingly believed that the media wanted Barack Obama to win the presidential election by a seventy percent margin. When voters believe the press is biased, the press has no credibility. Without credibility, the reporter’s ink is useless.
In another study, the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism found McCain received significantly more negative than positive coverage while the press treatment of Obama was somewhat more positive. When researchers studied all political stories during a certain time period, they found MSNBC to be the most biased for Senator Obama of any network or cable news station. (see graph)
SNL as the National Ombudsman?
In another study, the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism found McCain received significantly more negative than positive coverage while the press treatment of Obama was somewhat more positive. When researchers studied all political stories during a certain time period, they found MSNBC to be the most biased for Senator Obama of any network or cable news station. (see graph)SNL as the National Ombudsman?
The executive producer of Saturday Night Live didn’t need an independent study to tell him the press was blowing the election coverage. Lorne Michaels said in a recent interview “it did seem to us that the media were in something of a swoon for Obama.” During the primaries, SNL did a parody of the media’s love affair, uh-hum I mean coverage, of Obama. After that, the press buckled down a bit and started producing more revealing stories about Obama and his policies.
Has the world gone mad when SNL has to right a wrong media? I admit I am a bit old fashioned and idealistic about journalism, but when journalists must be shown how to do their job by comedy writers, I think it’s time for journalists to take a good long look at our work. (SNL parody of Obama Clinton Debates)
The Press Should Join Republicans in the Unemployment Line
Has the world gone mad when SNL has to right a wrong media? I admit I am a bit old fashioned and idealistic about journalism, but when journalists must be shown how to do their job by comedy writers, I think it’s time for journalists to take a good long look at our work. (SNL parody of Obama Clinton Debates)The Press Should Join Republicans in the Unemployment Line
President-elect Obama delivered a powerful and humble speech last night asking Americans to “summon a new spirit of responsibility.” I suggest journalists turn the spotlight on themselves.
News reports today will say that voters have given President-elect Obama a mandate for change and repudiated President George W. Bush and the Republicans. While those stories are valid, journalists should consider how we are doing our very important job in this democracy. If voters could have weighed in, they would have fired us too.
