Friday, July 21, 2006
"Please? We Need Help Controlling Everything We See!"
Frank James at the Chicago Tribune received an e-mail from the National Republican Congress Committee this weekend. The e-mail details perfectly the utter contempt the Republican Party shows for journalism and the media:
At least one passage in the e-mail struck me as particularly noteworthy. "I realized you need to know about some of our all-star Republican candidates running for Congress. The liberal media will not help our candidates, so we are taking matters into our own hands," said the passage.
Now, I'm a big ol' lefty. I realize that the media currently lets us down, often times framing us as if we're wild, unrestrained, and not above using intimidation. But let's say they turned around. Let's say that, one day, they suddenly offered to "help" us. You know what I would say? "No."
And that is the lesson that escapes many of those who use the "liberal media" bulwark, and which James calls them on the carpet for: if you are in power, the media is not here to "help" you. The media is there to examine your position, looking for flaws with all the scrutiny of hungry sharks sniffing for a drop of blood. If you want "help" from the media, then you're going to have to present a position that is the best goddamn thing since sliced bread. Then they'll give you a pass, and that's if you're feeling lucky.
Mind you, our current media has forgotten it at times. Still, it's not like they've fully remembered that it's there, and just decided to take a massive shit on it. Because that's what aspects of the Republican Party-- especially those in the White House-- would prefer they do. But that's just a little bit too much.
At least one passage in the e-mail struck me as particularly noteworthy. "I realized you need to know about some of our all-star Republican candidates running for Congress. The liberal media will not help our candidates, so we are taking matters into our own hands," said the passage.
Now, I'm a big ol' lefty. I realize that the media currently lets us down, often times framing us as if we're wild, unrestrained, and not above using intimidation. But let's say they turned around. Let's say that, one day, they suddenly offered to "help" us. You know what I would say? "No."
And that is the lesson that escapes many of those who use the "liberal media" bulwark, and which James calls them on the carpet for: if you are in power, the media is not here to "help" you. The media is there to examine your position, looking for flaws with all the scrutiny of hungry sharks sniffing for a drop of blood. If you want "help" from the media, then you're going to have to present a position that is the best goddamn thing since sliced bread. Then they'll give you a pass, and that's if you're feeling lucky.
Mind you, our current media has forgotten it at times. Still, it's not like they've fully remembered that it's there, and just decided to take a massive shit on it. Because that's what aspects of the Republican Party-- especially those in the White House-- would prefer they do. But that's just a little bit too much.
