I'm one of those people who came to believe, quite some time ago, that it's virtually pointless to watch televised news if you're geniunely interested in keeping abreast of the world's events. I think it's important to reveal my cynicism straightaway...
Now, I know this is an often harped-on shortcoming of our fair democracy. Yet, I feel the need to put in my $.02 because I never cease to be amazed at the stuff that finds its way into our "news broadcasts", let alone the subjects which constitute "big stories".
This election campaign has revealed so much of the ugliness in our politics and the very disturbing and overwhelmingly petty nature of our news. Part of me thinks that there are plenty of people out there who feel as I do, who are smart enough to see the cracks in the veneer, who can laugh at the absurdities. But, I also think there are plenty of people out there who devour the garbage they're fed, and then ask for seconds. This has to be true, because if this system were perceived by its mechanics to be broken, it would have been fixed; those media conglomerates are innovative like that.
I am truly passionate about the importance of media to the development of society; I believe it is a critical component of the formation of identity, both for us as individuals and for our national identity. I also believe that true democracies cannot function without a reliable and forthright media. Thus, it saddens me immeasurably that we focus so intensely on "issues" such as the presence or absence of a flag pin on the lapel of a presidential candidate (because somehow, that is the true measure of one's level of patriotism) or that we focus almost more attention on the things someone says who may be, however strongly, associated with a candidate than we do about the things the candidate him/herself says or believes.
Granted, politics is a dirty business. But I fail to understand why we've allowed ourselves to come to this point, where the emphases are on constant smear campaigns and the perpetuation of frivolous, laughable "news". We deserve better than that. And we're never going to be able to move forward as a country, never going to become better informed and politically-savvy as a people unless we demand better.
While I do think certain minor or off-the-cuff happenings can be telling of one's character, and may thus have some pertinence in the dissemination of information to voters, the line was crossed many miles ago. We've left all reason behind. Personally, I'm a hell of a lot more concerned about the state of our foreign policy, how poorly we pay our educators, our national debt and the fact, in this respect, China has us "by the balls", or...I don't know, the sad fact that millions of children in this country and around the world are living in completely avoidable squalor, many ravaged by completely avoidable disease.
I want to care. I need to care. And I KNOW there are are many folks like me out there who want the truth, who want more than relentlessly debating the slut factor in 15-year old Disney stars, or who want more than stories regarding what the personal beliefs of Obama's pastor say about him as an individual, despite his repeated denunciations of said beliefs. Was he scratching his face or was he flipping Hillary off? Should we have reservations about Hillary's ability to run a country when she is seen to have cried on national television? (I've referenced the Democrats because I think these are the most ridiculous of examples, not that some pretty lame stuff hasn't been said of McCain.)
The point is, we crave substance, and only rarely are we satiated.
Of course, many times it's easier to put the blinders and go about our lives in peace. Maybe we've all grown a little too comfortable, have taken for granted our position of isolation. I think many of us believe this really makes our lives easier, better; but I think we're wrong. I believe our desire to maintain this status quo has led us a place that many of us are pretty upset about. Upset about wage levels, failing or absent social security nets, the structure and/or direction of our military campaign in the MidEast, or the steady decrease in the size of the middle class, lack of healthcare for millions, the cost of college education, or maybe the way this Administration has represented us in the international community. Or maybe you're upset that we're not doing more for those outside our borders, or maybe you think we're doing too much there and not enough at home. Our lack of confrontation has indeed proven poisonous.
Whatever it is, we are all, in some capacity, to blame. Our media has helped us get here, and too many of us have endorsed sub-par media. It has distracted us from important and pressing issues, and we haven't done enough to change the way our media operates. Don't get me wrong, the occasional Britney trainwreck or latest Tom Cruise Scientology development can be a welcome tonic for the stresses of daily life. But, let's reign it in. The essence of our news needs to change and we're at a critical juncture.
I believe that many of the crises we face could have been prevented (or, at least, lessened) if we had been given better, GENUINE information by those with the responsibility and power to do so, instead of so much smoke and mirrors we might as well all live at the freakin' Fair. The present reporting habits of the media virtually ensure we will never be able to suss out who's really the best candidate for President - I don't care how many so-called "debates" they hold; the last televised Democratic debate, for example, was an abysmal failure and a waste of two-plus hours of Americans' time. Our aim is way off the mark. We need to ask tough questions and demand direct, intelligent responses. We need to consider our news for what it was designed to be rather than what it has become - entertainment.
Instead of the illusion of truth, let's have the real thing. We pride ourselves on our democratic nature but the truth is, we aren't living up to our obligations as democratic people. And that goes for the purveyors of news. I know some may cite my criticisms as evidence of a lack of patriotism or some other shortcoming as an American. But I believe one of the foremost obligations of a democratic people is to be critical of government, media, and other social institutions; if we fail in our criticisms, we fail ourselves and endanger the ability of our politics and ideology to survive.
At the most basic level, it's a matter of respect. Political systems and ideologies must be respected enough that media and politicians themselves take care to focus on the issues most important to the survival of said systems and ideologies. No amount of revenue is worth that kind of defeat, but I'm inclined to believe that the media bigwigs making a killing on our continued ignorance won't share my sentiments. At least until their pocketbooks are affected. Essentially, while the problem is all-encompassing, not much of consequence will be done without some noise from the little people - the very people who should have an interest in altering the status quo.
