Dubious

As I have stated before, I will state again: the national media acts like the fourth branch of government. Given their access to people via the Internet, TV, radio, and newspaper and their ability to peddle that influence, for all intensive purposes, they ARE the fourth branch of the federal government. This week, after Vice President Cheney’s hunting mishap, has been especially telling about their relationship with the Executive branch. Through David Gregory’s unprofessional tantrum on Monday, preposterous questions like, “Would it have been worse if [Harry Whittington] had died?” and the continuing, self-serving coverage (read: whining) from virtually every national mainstream news outlet, I can take it no more.

For the sake of completeness, let’s review the facts.

• Fact: Dick Cheney shot a man.
• Fact: Dick Cheney shot a man while hunting.
• Fact: Dick Cheney accidentally shot a man while hunting and did not fatally injure him.
• Fact: Dick Cheney reported the incident to the local authorities after first attending to Harry Whittington.

• Fact: At no time did Dick Cheney or those around him attempt to hide any information about the incident or prevent its release to the public.

  Too many reporters get off on the need to pass information onto viewers/readers/listeners while injecting their experience at the same time. These reporters and editors delude themselves into thinking that these actions are a true service to the American people—that in the same vein of investigative reporting the likes of which Woodwoord and Bernstein have never seen—they are keeping tabs on the Administration and any run-away powers that might attempt to mislead constituents. Here’s what I have heard over the past week that the media purports to be important information:

• Not fact: The White House press corps deserves or needs to have this information first in order to disseminate it.
• Not fact: The White House press corps is the sole source of Presidential news information.
• Not fact: The Vice President owes it the American public to hold a national news conference (with the White House press corps) to explain himself.

• Not fact: By not using the White House press corp as a means to disseminate the information, a disservice was done to the American people due to a time delay in getting that crucial information out.

  You know what would be nice? News with just the facts. Maybe there was a time delay. Who cares? The man who was shot was in the hospital getting better, while the media whines that it should have been notified quicker. How pedantic! Well… Well… If the media shouldn’t be notified quicker, then let’s find something else to quip about: Dick Cheney had a beer at lunch. Oh, no! The man was shot late in the afternoon, for crying out loud! OK, well, if that doesn’t work, then….let’s read into Cheney’s relationship with the President. Chris Matthews must be right about a growing rift between the President and the Vice President because the VP didn’t speak about it for a whole day and half to Bush. You know, now that I think of it, Monday reminds me of, well, the first work day of the week after a weekend. That is probably when the two were back in the office together. (Note, Bush’s staff has already been notified.) Coincidence, the media thinks not!

  Regardless of politics or ideology, this asinine approach to news is retarded. The American people deserve the facts. Leave the editorializing to the last section of the newspaper.

  Journalists have an obligation to investigate and report current events, but to what end? I would argue that once the information is disseminated in a complete manner, regardless of the means, then the duty is done. Certainly, if the information comes from a small-town newspaper, broader coverage is warranted. For some stories, this is what happens. Yet, the national media apparatus, when slighted or directly involved in some event feels compelled to inject whatever new nuances possible (i.e. time delay, beer, imaginary growing rifts within the administration, “we’re being demonized” excuse) in an attempt to distinguish themselves from one another in the vain attempt to win at the ratings contest. They have their faces so buried in the story (because they have made themselves a part of it), they cannot even see that they are doing themselves a disservice by forgetting all the other worthy, and important news of the week.

  Fortunately, the internet provides for a way to bypass the stifling atmosphere of that looming fourth branch of government. The average person was over this story on Tuesday or Wednesday, yet we are still going to be subjected to another week of non-news that speaks more about the media than current events. Sites like Newsvine (sorry, membership required) have long since moved onto relevant news. Too bad we cannot elect members of the mainstream press, for then we might see some effort to change their dubious ways.

  p.s. I have free membership passes to Newsvine to give away. If you would like one, please post your name in the comments.