Media Criticism

I have always wondered what my city’s CW affiliate would look like if it had a news component. I am sure it would be filled with earnest discussions of politics, social issues and foreign affairs that would only be found in the cloisters of academics and intellectuals. In all honesty, I know that CW 18 in Milwaukee would have an hour long news cast between re-runs of Scrubs and Frasier that would make the morning zoo crew look like a Congressional committee. I may be able to find out what CW News at 10 will look like due to the Federal Communication Commission’s recent move toward increased cross-ownership.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has spearheaded a move to make the filters against media conglomeration nothing more than a failing symbol of American media integrity. Martin released new rules dictating exceptions to media mergers with a press release on November 13th. These rules would make presumptions to planned mergers more likely to succeed based on a looser interpretation of public interest. Most reports on Martin’s press release and the recent vote by the FCC have said that a limited number of markets would be affected based on these rules. Concerned media watchers like the Consumer Federation of America’s Mark Cooper feel that most markets will be influenced negatively by these rules.

I hope that my CW station does not have a local news component. I also hope that Journal Communications which runs the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel does not grow in its involvement in local media. The consolidation of media is dangerous because competition is vital in weeding out bad information. If a few companies own a majority of the media outlets, they can dictate the news that people rely on in their daily lives. I hate to be cynical about a hypothetical situation but I loath supporting media conglomeration by business owners with a political interest.

Milwaukee’s leading alternative newspaper, The Shepherd Express, celebrated its 25th anniversary last week with a peak at its development from day one. The Shepherd Express is similar to free alternative newspapers throughout the country in its commitment to unbiased discussion and a commitment to informing the public instead of dealing with ratings. I think papers like the Express are denigrated by community members and members of the local media due to its location next to the rental magazines in our city’s grocery stores. These critics don’t realize that this accessibility gives alternative media its value.

I have written about the crassness and self-serving demeanor of the Milwaukee press in the past. As stations perfect the sensational story and the non-editorial editorial, I can count on alternative newspapers to give me another perspective on local issues. I subscribe to the Journal-Sentinel, Milwaukee’s major daily newspaper, on the weekends in addition to picking up the Express each week. I use both sources as well as my daily experiences in the city to inform my views on community politics. I can only hope that thousands of others do the same.

Free alternative media provides hope for writers, editors and publishers who are concerned with media consolidation. This statement is nothing new but it needs to be screamed from every place in the blogosphere and the alternative media on a daily basis. The value of alternative newspapers comes from increased practice by concerned citizens. An increasing volume of newspapers, pamphlets and brochures from people throughout the political spectrum increases the quality of mainstream media. You can’t hit a home run without swinging the bat and the alternative media can hit on a greater number of issues with an increased number of outlets.

I live in a “blue� state and a large city (Milwaukee, WI) that is racially diverse and filled with wonderful surprises around most corners. Outside of Milwaukee, there are cities like Green Bay and Madison that have cultural and entertainment offerings to keep people busy for days on end. I love living in a livable city where I can actually go home after a night downtown to an apartment or home with a yard surrounded by green spaces. The problem I encounter is when I see programs on Travel Channel, Food Network and others that focus on the stereotypical visions of Wisconsin: cheese, bratwurst and German heritage.

The Willamette Week has recently struck against condescending attention by national newspapers and television networks. This Oregon-based alternative newspaper has captured my attention with their rating of articles in newspapers like the New York Times ranging from a 1 (purely stereotypical language about Portland) to a 10 (accurate depiction) about Portland’s attractions. Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Austin (TX) and other cities are getting attention for supposed hot spots that are frequented by tourists instead of residents. The Willamette Week article features several examples of condescending, misleading or stereotypical travelogue-style articles from national media sources.

While I appreciate the trend of residents of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington D.C. discovering new places to spend their money, their approach to describing “smaller� cities leaves much to be desired. If I hear one more stupid joke about the Packers or cheese or bratwurst from a Chicago resident, I will just have to tell them that they should go back to their overpopulated city and spend their money on something besides our bed and breakfasts, new stadiums and museums. Too bad that Illinois has few attractions of note outside of Chicago.

This tirade is part concern over media portrayals of states inside the coasts and part concern that more Illinois residents (and a smattering of residents from California and New York) will infiltrate my beautiful city. I think the New York Times should focus on promoting beautification efforts in their own city and allow lowly fly-over state residents like myself to enjoy the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Grohmann Museum, Miller Park and other fantastic places.

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.

By now, you have seen the hot “buzz� video of August 27th. Miss South Carolina gets a question, A.C. Slater holds the microphone and tries not to laugh and the young lady proceeds to mess up about as bad as you possibly can. She refers to Americans as “U.S. Americans� and mixes up South America and South Africa. At least I think she does, I have no idea what she is talking about.

It is appropriate that she got a question stating that most American students cannot identify the United States on a map. I think this irony is self evident but Miss South Carolina may have accidentally done a major service to public education. I just wish this happened as the YouTube debates took place among the Democrats. A user could have just played this clip and let the Democrats speak to public education issues.

I hate to pile on people and she clearly was flustered and rehearsed something that she was unfamiliar with. I do think that the tone of the press coverage was more “take a look at this…� with a smirk than actual news which is only designed to increase the snark factor that the public seems to enjoy. In the end, her inability to put together a cohesive argument and properly identify people may have given public education proponents enough material to spring back to the fore.

I know the title is not very catchy but I think any good media criticism blog begins with an examination of local media. I live in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and have seen hundreds of inane local news stories that have riled me up. There is the “Dirty Dining� feature on Milwaukee Channel 4 or “Ted’s Take� on Fox 6 Milwaukee. Who watches these stories? More importantly, why is there three hours of news after 6 pm on any given night?

Minor local celebrity Ted Perry contributes to the ridiculousness of Milwaukee’s news scene. Perry is one of the local Fox station’s premier anchors and he also appears regularly on local radio. I was flipping through the major networks the other night and saw Ted expressing his opinion on the Iowa straw poll. This wasn’t Fox News Channel and Ted Perry is certainly not Sean Hannity. I just shook my head and turned off the television, deciding to read instead of listening to Perry toot his own horn further.

Local news is not the place for opinions. The editorial page in the daily paper or a separate show that the station produces to let journalists express their opinions a la Meet the Press is a better place. This is not an issue of preference but of ethics. How do I know that Perry and others don’t express their opinion when they are reporting the news? I can only read alternative papers or research stories of interest so much. I need to be able to trust news anchors to at least provide an unbiased list of facts. Instead, I get a wink, an opinion and a crass attempt at journalist integrity squeezed between 10 minutes of weather and 10 minutes of sports.

People all over the United States, from Seattle to Portland, Maine need to turn this garbage off. Anchors have the same interests as station managers: ratings. If no one watches, anchors won’t be able to spew their opinions on the air and won’t have the public’s support for their outside activities like geo-caching (Fox 6) or participation in Fourth of July parades (every channel). They will be stuck angrily blogging about the state of their career without the podium that they once brandished without regard for what they were doing.