Effective communication of message is of fundamental importance in any political campaign, providing you have a good message. While we are extremely effective reaching a certain audience, there is a larger audience we miss entirely. These are what I think can be fairly called victims of the traditional media. Our most effective messenger, I might say only effective messenger, in this realm has been Keith Olbermann. And so, for when danger looms in perilous politcal times, I propose the KO Signal.
First let me define my terms. And I want to thank whoever added the tag, Traditional Media, to a previous diary of mine, it is the appropriate term. By traditional media I mean ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, other similar journalistic outlets, as well as that class of talking head who derives their power through these outlets. And when I refer to the political ether, I am talking about something that the traditional media, for whatever reason, rightly or wrongly, has come to accept as truth.
We do not directly reach a large and politically important segment of the traditional media's audience. And that audience in turn affects a broader audience we usually don't reach. So, how can we best influence this greater audience. Since we will never reach a good portion of this audience and another portion of this audience does not want to listen to us, I believe our best tactic is to influence the traditional media and let them do the work. And the best way to influence them is to attack their professionalism and their integrity. This has been the method that has been so effectively employed by the Right.
The most damaging and least truthful story that has pervaded the political ether for years concerns liberal media bias. This story derives from the simple fact that supposedly there are more liberal journalists than conservative journalists in the traditional media. It has nothing to do with the substantive nature of the reporting in the traditional media. But the media has allowed itself to be tarred and feathered with this accusation to the point where it is continuously bending over backwards to prove its neutrality. Everyday there are good diaries written on this precise subject. How do we change this?
The media's weakness is a terribly thin skin and a deep seeded insecurity complex. In short they crave respect. This is their soft underbelly. Right wing criticism has revealed how far they will go to gain respect. We need to find a way to be as effective in our criticisms. We cannot allow ourselves to be dismissed as a fringe point of view. So it is time to illuminate the KO signal. By the way, I would love if MSNBC made some minature searchlights with a KO emblem, and perhaps a USB port plugin allowing access to a special email account.
We need an effective spokesperson who can get under the skin of the traditional media. Someone who can hammer them day after day until they submit. It must be loud and it must be relentless. It should highlight the most egregious example of their bias, the CBS gaffe coverup operation. CBS is already reeling from their choice of Couric as anchor. In the past, I have proposed a KO Countdown: number of days since CBS joined the McCain campaign. Also a reminder that we are now in a war, because the traditional media was intimidated into not doing its job, would help. It should be understood that if the traditional media was not afraid of being accused of liberal bias, we might never have invaded Iraq.
As long as the traditional media continues to cover McCain's ass, they need to be lampooned for the toadies they are. The real McCain should be compared with the McCain portrayed in the network news every night. McCain wants coverage, He should get it. The more he is exposed the poorer he looks. Their portrayal of McCain should be used to expose exactly where the bias of the Traditional media lies. But it must be relentless exposure and it has to come from an outlet that will be heard. The right wing mantra is repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it. Ours should be, repeat the truth often enough and people will believe it. What I believe is that if the media believe their crediblity is in doubt, they will react.
It doesn't take much for me to anonymously write a diary or for a columnist to express his opinion in print or video. But for someone employed in the popular media to really take sides is quite a risk and does take quite a bit of courage. As a matter a fact I don't know too many on the left, other than Keith Olbermann, who currently do so. I believe we have greatly benefitted from his appearance. The Right has greatly benefitted from mainstream media types being afraid to express their allegiances to anything or any cause that might be viewed as left leaning. I believe KO gets so deep under their skin precisely because he has been successful despite his politics. They are afraid that others will realize they can express a liberal opinion without fear. This will be their demise. So I hope Keith has lots of company soon. Until that time I will rely on the KO signal.