Covering the Elections

By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

The relationship between elected officials and journalists in the United Kingdom is a lot different than it is here in the States. The questions are tough, interviewers are aggressive, and the tone at times can be pretty aggressive.

You don’t hear many interviews like that in the U.S., especially with such high-ranking officials. The forceful, hard-line approach of foreign journalists may even make some American listeners uncomfortable. But to others, this is the way it should be – holding officials accountable, and forcing them to answer the questions that are asked.

Commentator Mark Timney says this is exactly what’s missing from the coverage of the ongoing presidential race in the United States. Mark is associate professor of journalism at Keene State University. And he says the mainstream media has basically dropped the ball during this election cycle.

(Photo by riccotorres)

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In a word, NO. Thank you for the opportunity to present a major concern of mine regarding MEDIA and the Future Of American Democracy. 3 points:

1.) The future of our democracy depends on our media because unless we are truly an "informed electorate" we've lost our democracy to moneyed, anti-democratic, competing interests.

2.) The question often asked is: "but is that what Americans really want?" That is like asking a feudal peasant: "do you want democracy or a dictatorship?" How would either know what they want unless they were well-informed on the alternatives?

3.) Citizens cannot be well-informed unless the true Root Causes for problems are revealed. Until the Root Causes are determined, each of the many 'symptoms' (emanating from each root cause) seems like an isolated problem in itself, masking the interrelatedness that make effective solutions possible. Focusing on 'symptoms' only consumes precious resources and good intent, with no real possibility of solving the Root Cause problem.

I apologize for the lengthy note but I see no shorter way of explaining what I believe to be a mortal threat to our democracy. I'd be happy to discuss it further.
Most sincerely,
Seabury Lyon
Bethel, Maine

Submitted by seabury lyon on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 12:22.

I've wondered where journalism disappeared to, most since 9/11 and the the war on Iraq. The term that comes to mind is "gutless". There's been no eagerness to challenge candidates, the president, anyone, when they spout lies, sound bites and evasions.

When "on the Media" airs, the only question I want to hear some sort of answer to is "Where was the media when we needed them?".

Submitted by CG on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 13:29.

Idea Smackdown: Round III

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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.