For the CBS-produced Republican
presidential "debate," see.
John Brown It's [the atmosphere produced by the televised Republican debates] not even entertaining anymore ... and the way the mainstream media "collaborates" (is complicit?) in setting up such a reality-TV circus is not exactly journalism at its best. Consider this thought experiment: Having a televised presidential debate without journalists/Tee-Vee pundits as questioners (interrogators?) -- but rather making it possible for "average Americans" to ask questions to the candidates. Since when should the MSM act as a "representative" of/be a spokesperson for the American people? Happy Valentine's Day!
A few more scattered thoughts on the above issue:
1) The electronic MSM -- no matter where they're located on the political compass -- treat important political debates as a "media event" with the hope it will grab vast audiences and therefore large advertising dollars.
2) So the debates are staged to be "exciting" and confrontational (audience cheering, booing; "tough" questions from slick Tee-Vee pundits; the candidates positioned on the stage [as if in a vaudeville theater] as if to punch the other; dramatic lighting effects). Straight out of reality TV.
3) All in all, from a media perspective, these "debates" are another -- minor -- version of the violent all-American Football Superbowl, without the (at times) amusing ads.
4) But hey, we're gettin' an audience -- and that translates into big ad bucks! Long live America!
No comments:
Post a Comment