
“Fourth of July 1916” by Childe Hassam
I thoroughly enjoyed the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and I fully expect I will also enjoy the Democrat Convention in Philadelphia next week. For political junkies and public policy wonks (and I’ve been something of each over long stretches of time in my life) these quadrennial events are analogous to the Olympics or the World Cup. They show the American political process of selecting our principal Presidential candidates at its ultimate frenzy, in all of its glory, its hokey pageantry, and all of its travesty. It is a thing both beautiful and ugly to behold by the truly objective eye. Principles, promises, and puffery all choreographed to ostensibly inform and deliberately incite potential voters. Of course, for committed partisan viewers, only the convention of their affiliated party will likely be appreciated, the other being despised as so much deviltry.
But what I didn’t enjoy was the TV news coverage itself. I tried watching them all, flipping the channel at every commercial break in the broadcast: the major networks of ABC, CBS and NBC, as well as the major cable outlets of CNN, FOX and MSNBC. And in one conspicuous regard, they were all disappointingly alike. None of them faithfully aired all of the speeches. Instead, they ignored many speakers, in whole or in part, and used that air time to feature their own talking heads with their own points of view, via a seemingly endless array of roving reporters, analysts, commentators and so-called expert panels.
But it was the speakers I wanted to hear. All of them. Not just the ones the news folks deemed worthy. I’m perfectly capable of coming to my own conclusions and value judgments about what the speakers have to say. I don’t need some third party interlocutor or interpreter to help me understand what’s going on. At the very least, they could have waited until each speech had concluded before strutting their stuff and spouting their opinions.
The fourth estate just ain’t what it used to be.
I stayed with C-SPAN.
LikeLiked by 2 people
a wise choice – for some reason, I don’t appear to get c-span on my new satellite service
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done! 🙂 I agree also. Talking heads are not needed. I prefer in infer using my own observations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
appreciate your affirmation
LikeLiked by 1 person
isn’t that the truth. It’s like in the fashion industry where they tell the public what is going to be “Hot,” in the coming season. Big surprise, it’s the very thing you’re producing. What a happy coincidence.
Corporate owned journalists are compromised before they get out of college. Being taught what to think instead of how. All they are are parrots now, squawking the party line.
LikeLiked by 2 people
yes yes yes
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yet, we get the news from the news outlets. If we are divided in this land, can’t we blame them too? Listening to coverage is like listening to two different events. Where does the spin stop?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I guess we just need to keep our wits about us and ignore all the spin
LikeLike
But how would they justify the overhead if they didn’t dominate the stage?. Ironically, I had the same impression as you while listening to Sean Hannity while Joni Ernst spoke (silently) in the background.
LikeLiked by 1 person
a perfect example – it really frosts me
LikeLike
As much as I satirize and despair of my country I am grateful we have the no commercial’s, no corporate input, publicly funded, take no sides BBC. Just about that last safe haven for in depth truth we have (indeed probably the planet has).
LikeLiked by 1 person
you remind me that I’ve often enjoyed different BBC productions – I wonder if they cover our conventions – I never even thought to look
LikeLiked by 1 person
With my sleeping pattern I tend to go for the radio. BBC World Service at night and Radio 4 during the day. I thought they provided fine coverage with many interviews and importantly (as much as I don’t care for Trump) offered no criticism. Just news as it should be…it’s about the only thing the UK is doing right these days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I’m perfectly capable of coming to my own conclusions and value judgments about what the speakers have to say. I don’t need some third party interlocutor or interpreter to help me understand what’s going on.”
Bingo. We have a winner!
LikeLiked by 1 person
it’s as if they think we are all stupid
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great observations Paul.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m pleased that you thought so
LikeLiked by 1 person
EYE am going to show this post to M(EYE) Husband.
LikeLiked by 1 person
much appreciated
LikeLike
You have described my thoughts exactly. A great tragedy of our age, in all countries, is our captive main street media which spends more time attempting to communicate its owners agenda rather than reporting news in an unbiased fashion. These talking heads are propagandists who would make Joey Goebbels proud.
Hunter
LikeLiked by 1 person
appreciate your affirmation, hunter
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Praying for Eyebrowz and commented:
Interesting insight.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you for sharing my post with your readers
LikeLike