At another time in my life during grad school I wanted to be a television news executive. Took more classes then I care to admit about how media organizations work. But alas, in some strange twist of fate I went into advertising (hold the jokes please). Of course the two industries are interrelated. One can't really exist without the other.
What I want to attempt to outline here, in a pretty short and straightforward manner is why we are getting the type of media coverage we're getting. It is really very, very simple. And I think if people get why it is happening it will help bring some clarity to what can be done to change the current landscape.
About a decade ago I had an idea for a screen play. Being anal I searched online and bought several books about how to write said screen play. All the books had the exact same "formula" for success (which turned me off BTW). Conflict, conflict, ever escalating conflict until you reach the climax.
Think about that for a couple seconds ....
That is exactly what our media outlets are doing. They are not reporting the news (which can be pretty boring), they are telling a story. A narrative that has to fuel a 24/7/365 media culture. A story that at its core needs conflict to be compelling. And when no conflict exists, since Clinton and Obama are pretty close on the issues, they then just manufacture their own conflict out of thin air.
As most of us know the higher ratings a program has the higher rates they can charge for ads. So they believe, and generally speaking they are correct, that more conflict will create higher ratings. You see where I am going I hope.
Even Keith's Countdown plays off of this conflict angle with things like Bushed, Special Comments, and the Worst Person in the World. Heck his ongoing pissing match with Bill is like a dream for the executives at FOX Noise and MSNBC. Although Keith and Bill might not say this (OK I am sure Bill does) their management loves it. Cause you not only have conflict, you have real conflict.
That is ratings and advertising gold.
So the next time you are watching the news keep in the back of your mind that they are trying to manufacture conflict. Ask yourself if the conflict is real or if it is just being inserted to make the story "interesting." When you write to the publications about how unhappy you are with their coverage highlight that you understand this dynamic and you know exactly what they are doing.
Tell ABC News that you know those questions were asked of Obama and Clinton not cause they are issues that are important to the American people, but cause they create conflict. Conflict that they are now reporting as news cycle after cycle.