Media
chooses to show heat and skip the enlightenment
By
When I read Richard Reeves'
column, (Saturday, Oct. 19), I was bewildered because his own article made the
argument against the point he was trying to make. Reeves quoted Khrushchev's
letter to Kennedy ending the Cuban missile crisis. Khrushchev realized that, if
Two paragraphs later Reeves
says President Bush ought to follow Kennedy's path to confronting the Iraqi
nuclear threat. But Khrushchev's rationale for pulling out of
Before I go any farther, I
must say that the purpose of this article is not to argue about the rightness
or wrongness of taking one action or another against
My questions are these: If the
media modeled a different tone of political discourse, (1) would our
understanding of the issues be greater? (2) Would we develop a greater
appreciation for the complexity of the issues we face?
So, what is the tone of
political discourse in today's mass media? First, let's look at the Reeves
column. He is so intent on attacking Bush that he does not even see that the
Khrushchev quote undermines his argument.
How might a modern Republican
columnist respond to the Reeves piece? Following the tenets of modern political
discourse, that person would make the point I made in the first two paragraphs.
Then the person would condemn Reeves for his liberal politics. To earn cheers
and congratulations from conservative colleagues, the language would defame
Reeves and his faulty thinking. Finally, to connect his points to a highly
emotional recent event, the columnist might ask, "Where was Reeves on
Sept. 11?" This would imply that people like Reeves (liberals) don't get
it, and they are not as patriotic as conservatives, who are still mourning for
their fellow countrymen and our country.
A second description of
political discourse in the mass media will help make my point. Have you watched
either the national or local cable news shows, lately? My wife becomes too
upset to watch Crossfire. The ideas do not upset her,
it is the way they are expressed. It is the way participants take pride in
presenting their party's line, even at the cost of being blind to alternatives
and their own inconsistencies. The Reeves article is a newspaper example of the
latter.
Is "Crossfire" what
citizens in a democracy want? Are we really persuaded when people make their
points by cutting off opponents, by drowning out others' voices, by being
sarcastic, and by repeating party lines about the size of government, the
rights of fetuses, the rights of women, the plight of the poor, or the evil of
taxes. This must be what television producers believe we want. Why else would
we have so many shows with an emphasis on heat, instead of enlightenment.
A third example concludes my
point. Look at our Citizen- Times editorial pages. It is clear to me that the
editors go to great lengths to balance the political perspectives of their
syndicated columnists.
That is why I enjoy reading
the letters to the editor that accuse the AC-T of
being too liberal or too conservative. They are reading the same paper I am,
and it amazes me that their conclusions are the opposite of mine. But even more
amazing is the idea that both views have elements of truth, and much truth lies
between the two extremes. Wouldn't it be invigorating to have a discussion that
would enlighten both those who believe the AC-T is biased and those who believe
the AC-T balances political commentary.
My point is that, just as the
television shows thrive on "heat." The newspaper columnists, and the
AC-T editorial board, seem to believe we want to read those who represent the
purest liberal or conservative views. I do not share this view. I believe there
is more learned from reading those who display the ability to see both sides. I
am not accusing columnists of not seeing both sides. I do not know whether they
do or not. From their writings, however, I know that they are not DISPLAYING a
willingness to present moderate views or a willingness to see other sides.
I do not know enough about
newspaper editing to know if we have moderate political columnists who present
well thought out commentaries on the complexity of the controversies
confronting our citizenry. If we have too few, or none, at
the national level. I volunteer to write such a column, periodically,
for our local readership.
If you share my opinion, go to
CITIZEN-TIMES.com and send an e-mail
to the editors that says, "I agree with
Hurley." If they receive enough of these, they may take me up on my offer.
A former teacher and principal
in