Heh:
That made me laugh. This is what the press does. It can blame the GOP exclusively on any shutdown, so we are treated to an endless parade of - anything - that demonstrates the harm that will be done. They do this when, say, a Republican is in the White House and the economy is struggling. I recall in the 80s, in the midst of the rebounding economy, it was a regular feature for newscasts to showcase 'those who are falling through the cracks'. In the years leading up to the 2008 collapse, I remember newspapers and news broadcasts focusing on endless families and individuals wallowing in debt, or struggling with bills, or anything that said we were heading full steam into a recession.
On the other hand, during the 1990s, apparently everyone was doing well. I took note at the time regarding the change in mood when the press covered the economy. It was, quite frankly, the greatest economy in history. And apparently nobody was falling through the cracks, since you seldom heard about it. Whether pop culture or the press, there was no showcasing of the poor, the poverty stricken, the ghettoes, the individual families interviewed to show not everyone was enjoying the bountiful harvest of Clinton era policies.
Same during the Obama years. In fact, it was the Obama years in which I learned no matter what the economic reports, it was always good news. If unemployment went down, that was good. If it went up, that could be good, too. If the economy slowed, or seemed to be limping along, it always seemed to herald positive news for the future.
Just like today. As I said here, no matter how bad the inflation, the cost of living, the number of Americans unable to keep up, it's always framed in a 'but economist predict great news for the future!' Likewise, there are no anecdotal stories about Mr. and Mrs. American who are being hurt by the current economic situation. Again, because of who is in the White House.
But when the blame can be dropped on the GOP? Why, we learn that our world hangs in the balance. We meet individuals who will be devastated, we're told of specific people who will be harmed. And we learn that above all things, we might not be able to have Fat Bear Week!
Sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
I love Fat Bear Week as much as the next person, but it’s really not the highest priority people… come on 😅
ReplyDeleteYes, heh, this isn't to disparage that grand old tradition of Fat Bear Week. I just notice the general trends in how the media covers things over the years, and what the circumstances that surround the coverage happen to be.
DeleteWhat I recall during the Bush years was how many American soldiers died each day at the top of the newscasts. When Obama was elected, soldier deaths were not reported with the same gusto but as just a matter of course. Funny how that went...
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, absolutely. Not to mention how they cover things one way one day, and another another day. Take the Afghanistan debacle. At first, the press was on the Biden administration like white on rice. They - the press - were comparing it to our withdraw from Vietnam. But all of a sudden, poof! Suddenly the coverage dropped, and we more or less act like nothing happened - when it is mentioned at all. Why the difference? Because when things first fell apart, there were several journalists who got stuck and left behind in fear of their lives. Once they finally mad it out? Cue the shut-out by the media. They got what they wanted, and now moved to cover Biden's tracks. As I said, I hope we realize the media is long dead, and there is a good chance we have little knowledge of what is going on in the world today.
DeleteOh yes. Our news media, right down to the local newscasts and papers, is pretty much just Pravda at this point. Maybe they have been for longer than we care to admit.
DeleteAbsolutely. I've said we really don't have a news media at this point. And if you follow the press, there is a huge chance that you have no clue what is happening in the world.
DeleteAs Sam Clemens [aka Mark Twain] is reported to have said, "If you don't read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed."
DeleteIs fat bear week when the bears get to eat the tourists?
ReplyDeleteHa. It made me wonder. I have never heard of it before. That's why I had to laugh at CNN acting like this is some national pastime that will undercut our nation's wellbeing. Sometimes parody doesn't do it justice.
Delete(Tom New Poster)
DeleteAlmost bought a T-shirt in Alaska of a bear leaning over a tent, with the words "Eat Locally".
I've seen this play out before as such:
ReplyDelete-Disaster Aid package
-Dems put in a lot of unrelated abortion funding.
-Republicans block until this funding is removed.
-Press reports on how the evil Republicans are holding up much needed aid money; even if there's some unrelated spending that's just politics, you don't hold it up just for that!
And then later:
-Disaster Aid Package
-Republicans write with language saying that money can't be used to fund abortion.
-Dems block the package until republicans lift that language.
-Press blames Republicans for holding up the aid package. If you cared about those in need, you'd just concede to your opponents demands!
Of course, the real lesson from this is this: the press is garbage and we should replace it with our alternatives. Mainstream Republicans never support this option. The furthest they'll go is is a conservatively branded Fox News type organization that uses the same framing wherever it matters. (For example, Fox News uses "gender affirming care" for child mutilation.)
Rudolph, if I could give you a hug and buy you a round, I'd buy you two! Amen, brother.
DeleteThe press is garbage gives a bad name to garbage. We don't have a press at this point. I sometimes think we should turn off electronic entertainment altogether. Think on how powerless it would become overnight if we just stopped caring. But that's the problem. There simply aren't enough ready to do so. By the time we are, I fear it will be too late.
Delete