Media Criticism

This is apparently the connection that Senator Barack Obama wants to make while pushing for the Democratic nomination. In a way, Obama does resemble Kennedy in his relative inexperience and high optimism for the power of Americans to improve their own lot. The Obama campaign has dragged out Ted Sorensen, a 79 year old former speech writer in the Kennedy brain trust, to help the candidate drive him this connection. Sorensen provides an endorsement of Obama’s role as the young, hip candidate among a group of establishment politicians in a way that no other octogenarian can do.

The problem for Obama is that the historical parallel is faulty. The 1960 election that allowed Kennedy to rise to power was tainted with corruption. Richard J. Daley certainly helped Kennedy win Illinois with back room machinations and the nomination of Senator Lyndon Johnson from Texas helped win over conservative voters. If Obama is Kennedy then Hillary Clinton is Johnson without the scowl or the large frame. I find it difficult to believe that Senator Clinton would leave her spot in the Senate to become a vice president to a candidate without her pedigree.

This comparison between Obama and Kennedy also begs the question of how Obama would deal with the war on terror. Kennedy may have used fluffy language about the Peace Corps and Americans giving back for the benefit of their nation, he also escalated conflict with the Soviet Union with involvement in Cuba and Vietnam. Barack Obama needs to be careful about harkening back to history to avoid comparisons during the general election that may be unflattering. The Democrats need to think about substance instead of style to distinguish themselves from the Republicans in 2008 (that is, if the Republicans choose Mitt Romney, the ultimate hair-do).

The Christian right in the tangible form of the Council for National Policy met over the weekend to discuss the state of the conservative politics in America. Anyone that has followed the Republican presidential debates understands the quandary faced by earnest conservatives. Mitt Romney is a pretty face and loaded financially but the Democratic media machine would certainly use the “flip flop” attack on Romney in a general election (to good effect). Rudy Giuliani’s run for the presidency brings forth the pain of 9/11 and his inexperience in national politics only seems to be overmatched by his moderate leanings.

The Council for National Policy put out a statement indicating their worries about a Giuliani campaign by stating that they may find it necessary to run a third party candidate. Newt Gingrich has recently declined to run for the Republican nomination but he would seem a likely candidate given his recent attacks on partisanship. Other possibilities include Chuck Hagel from Nebraska and Ron Paul from Texas if they feel like Paul’s momentum would have an effect.

In the same way that the movement of liberal Democrats into Ralph Nader’s camp in 2000 threw the election into turmoil, a Christian right candidate outside of the Republican Party in 2008 would certainly give America a Democratic president. The Republican Party would experience a split in its ranks that it has not experienced in a long time (Reagan and Ford in 1976 or even Taft and Roosevelt in 1912 beyond that). If the Republican Party wants to maintain its conservative principles and avoid kowtowing further to the Christian right, they should stand by their principles and nominate someone to lead the Republican Party instead of the American Christian right.

The confrontation between Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and George W. Bush on Tuesday was something that battle rappers and high school debate teams should watch in equal measure. Both presidents gave speeches several hours apart and Bush attended meetings in order to get out of seeing Ahmadinejad’s speech. Bush spoke about the authoritarian and dictatorial governments throughout the world including Cuba, Zimbabwe and a nation that starts with I and ends with ran.

Ahmadinejad was slightly more subtle than George W. Bush which proves that he is a bit of a buffoon in his own right. Anyone should be more subtle than Bush and Ahmadinejad’s speech was something to behold. He describes an occupying force that does not admit defeat, allows thousands of deaths and devalues the independence of other nations. I wonder which occupying force in the Middle East he could be referring to?

The United Nations offers a distinct opportunity for tyrants and democrats alike to speak to a global audience. America has always been hostile to the United Nations because a) it has no muscle and b) arguments going back to Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations indicate a hint of racism underneath political arguments. Americans do not have a right to tell the world who they can hear speak in the United Nations because it is not OUR organization. People can protest all they want but Ahmadinejad spoke, the Cubans left after Bush’s rhetorical attack and representatives from brutal dictatorships took these attacks in stride. While the arguments between Bush and Ahmadinejad were superficial and full of bile, they do show the value of open debate. You can take what you will from that statement but if we want to spread democracy to the world (like Wilson), we need to be prepared for the bruises, cuts and psychological damage associated.

The website TMZ has been renowned for its ability to muckrake the dirty deeds of B list celebrities and has-beens over the last year. The Michael Richards racist tirade at LA’s Laugh Factory and Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic comments to police show the type of journalism engages in. Indeed, TMZ is so successful at this work that their web links are picked up by the mainstream media and disseminated with the TMZ logo to millions of people.

I hate to say that TMZ does a service because I think the lives of celebrities are none of my concern. When I pay to see a movie, I pay to see actors at work and I am not entitled to know about their private lives unless they become a hazard to the public. I will say that TMZ uses the type of journalism that major newspapers and cable news networks are beginning to use to pursue leads. The reason this website is able to accomplish successful (gasp) journalism is the topic matter is interesting to a voyeuristic public.

The in-your-face celebrity entertainment of TMZ is now on television. I question the necessity of another crass TV show about celebrity news though my local TV station runs it at 11:05 pm when no one is watching. I will not watch TMZ on TV because a) I think celebrity news is a waste of time and b) It will no doubt get homogenized and decrease its Web credibility with a few months in television no man’s land. If I had to choose between TMZ and, let’s say, Cavemen, I would be really hard pressed to make a decision. Harvey Levin may accidentally give me a laugh while he talks about TMZ’s latest search for celebrity dirt.

I always find it troubling when the media participates in raising false hope when an abduction or natural disaster occurs. This has happened with mine troubles out in Colorado and West Virginia over the past few years with talking heads spending hours bandying about conjecture under the guise of keeping hope alive. The disappearance of adventurer Steve Fossett on Monday has led to a week’s worth of stories stating that wreckage was found that was likely linked to Fossett.

The most difficult part of this type of disappearance is that there is no rhyme or reason to it. Steve Fossett has gone around the world in a balloon and a number of other daring feats that make a three hour flight seem routine. The press pushes local police departments and search teams for details in order to glean something newsworthy from their hopeful words. If Steve Fossett is found dead, the media as an institution will be happy because they can eulogize this great man without discussing the series of stories that built up the nation for a fall.

I don’t think this type of information is worth more than a few minutes each day on the news to update the public on the situation. Police crews, state search and rescue crews and family members will conduct their search without the help of the public. In fact, they should be given a wide berth to make their search without interference by the media or prying eyes. Cable networks and news papers are just showing their voyeuristic nature when they cover Steve Fossett’s disappearance endlessly.

NBC News’ decision to air portions of Cho Seung-Hui’s has been criticized as insensitive to the victims of the Virgnia Tech mass murder and giving other potential wackos motivation to try and get their own televised moment of gory glory.

The American Psychiatric Assocation has now weighed in on the controversy, urging the Peacock Network to not air the Cho video and images.

An excerpt:

Today the American Psychiatric Association (APA) sent an open letter to the news media urging them to stop airing the disturbing writings, photographs and video that NBC News reportedly received from Cho Seung-Hui, who committed suicide after murdering 32 students and faculty and wounding at least 29 others at Virginia Tech.

The letter was signed by APA President Pedro Ruiz, M.D., and contained two enclosures: a World Health Organization report, entitled “Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals,” and a study from American Behavioral Scientist, entitled “Media Contagion and Suicide among the Young” and authored by Madelyn Gould, Ph.D., of Columbia University and colleagues. The full text of the letter is as follows:

On behalf of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and our 38,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses, I urge all news media outlets to stop airing the disturbing writings, photographs and video that NBC News reportedly received from Cho Seung-Hui, who committed suicide after murdering 32 students and faculty and wounding at least 29 others at Virginia Tech.

The publicity of the Cho materials not only seems insensitive to the grieving and traumatized families, friends and peers of those murdered and injured, but also seriously jeopardizes the public’s safety by potentially inciting “copycat” suicides, homicides and other incidents. Because the scientific evidence in this area is clear, the World Health Organization, in its 2000 report “Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals,” said: “Glorifying suicide victims as martyrs and objects of public adulation may suggest to susceptible persons that their society honours suicidal behaviour.” Indeed, it is evident to many that the Columbine tragedy was a powerful force in Mr. Cho’s writings. The media have an important role to play in limiting the power of such tragedies by choosing not to sensationalize them.

Related websites:

http://www.psych.org/
http://www.healthyminds.org/

My own position on this as a First Amendment lawyer, former TV journalist and a father of two school aged children is mixed. I completely understand that victims and their families will be upset by the video and images. I also understand that giving this nut a final moment of glory might encourage other nutjobs.

But on the other hand, the fact that Cho sent NBC these materials–between killings no less–is unquestionably news. It is something out of the ordinary. It is a key part of the story. And knowing what Cho said and seeing his images helps explain or at least shed some insight into Cho’s actions.

Also, it appears NBC News agonized over the decision and had a full debate about the implications of airing–or not airing–the materials. Information yearns to be free in a free society. I think NBC handled the release of information in a professional and sensitive manner.

Truth is what we expect our free press to pursue in a free society. Sometimes that truth is disturbing. But NBC, just like Virginia Tech, did not pull the trigger. A madman did. And the more we all understand what creates madmen in our free society, the better off–and more informed–we’ll all be. Just as guns are part of our free society, so is a free press that goes where the facts and truth leads it. It is an uncomforatable but necessary part of living in a free country.

Cross posted from TV Bloggin.

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Talk about creepy.

Breaking news out of Blacksburg, VA regarding the Virginia Tech murders. The killer sent a package to NBC News in New York between shootings on campus.

Blinkx found a local TV report on the story. Click here to watch: http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=37813@kcbs.dayport.com

Above: One of the photos Virginia Tech mass murderer Cho Seung-Hui took of himself and sent with other materials to NBC News between shootings.

Cross posted from TV Bloggin.

Blinkx, Blinkx.com, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech killings, NBC, NBC News, KCBS, KCBS-TV, Virginia Tech killer, Virginia Tech shooter

The following video from YouTube apparently was shot by Virginia Tech students today from their dorm or apartment as a number of police cars screamed to campus.

Home video and camera phone video has once again helped to tell the story of a tragedy.

Cross posted to Media Criticism.