[Derogitory comment by Don Imus] = 1*
[Mention of Imus' comment in news] = 1,076
* Don Imus apologized.
The Irony/Hypocrisy of the News Media
Somehow it’s okay for the the media to continue using (and profiting from) the demeaning statement that Don Imus used once. (It still doesn’t excuse what he said). It’s been repeated thousands of times during the past two weeks, and anybody who understands the media business knows that more readers and more eyballs means more dollars. Let’s face it, if you want people to read your story online, what phrase should you be putting in your headline? Oh the irony.
CBS leads the way with the hypocrisy train. Could You Call Oprah A Nappy . . . (you know the phrase)?
Nancy Giles tries to turn it into some story about more women having a voice. I agree with her idea, but she’s spreading the same ugly message Imus did, and she’s doing it under the leadership of the very company that fired the old codger.
I have to admit that I have contemplated what difference my vote for president would really make during the elections as a resident of Utah. The people here always choose the Republican candidate. (I’m not saying the Democratic candidate doesn’t get votes, but that person just never wins the popular vote or the electoral vote in Utah. Never.)
As a result, I began to wonder why I should even vote, and the obvious “what if everyone did that” thought came to mind, but I didn’t learn much from that, so I decided to put my mind into it, and here are a few of my conclusions, which I will update throughout the day. Connor, Chris (who announced that he will run for some future office) and I are all writing about Why we should vote. If you’re also writing about Why we should vote, send me the link.
I’ve a discovered a few things as I started contemplating the right to vote.
Why we should vote. What I’ve discovered. First Conclusion - I’ve discovered that I know very little behind the reasoning and logic of why the United States uses the process it uses to select a president. I’m specifically referring to the United States Electoral System. Why should we vote if the electoral college is what really decides the outcome? Connor Boyack has a great post on the electoral college where he points to an article by Presidential candidate Ron Paul. He also does a great job explaining how the electoral college works: Why You Should Vote. So, my first conclusion is that I don’t understand the system as well as I should. I believe this single thing would change my outlook and yours in relation to the importance of voting.
Second conclusion - Whether or not my individual vote actually “counts” in the realm of ultimately deciding who gets to play politics at the highest level, I’ve discovered that when I take my vote seriously, I find myself actively learning more about the individual candidates and not just making decisions based on political party or likeability. I find myself comparing candidates’ words and promises to the principles of the Constitution and then finding that many presidential candidates’ platforms are in direct opposition with the very foundation of the U.S. Constitution. How shocking is that?
Third Conclusion - When you start to study the principles by which the foundation of this country was laid, I think you start to select a candidate on your citizenry as an American and not as a member of a political party. You start to vote for a candidate because they are truly the best person for the job and not the one that has the most mentions in the media.
Fourth conclusion - “Civic duty” and because “you should” are not reasons that will probably get you to want to vote. Today’s discussion on the reasons for voting have reminded me of something. Thomas Jefferson wrote a vital line in the Declaration of Independence when he said “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” In other words, government and its politicians only have power because we as a people give it to them through our collective consent. That’s what happens when we vote yea or nay.
“Imus initially was given a two-week suspension for calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team “[something really uncalled for and degrading to all women]” on the air last week, but outrage continued to grow and advertisers bolted from his CBS radio show and its MSNBC simulcast.” via Houston Chronicle
You really think CBS/MSNBC would fire Don Imus solely over his comment when his show brings in $15 million a year? He got fired by the court of public opinion and the good old U.S. dollar because advertisers were bolting. That’s not sexy for the news though. Being degrading to women (which his comment was) isn’t going to sell papers either. But racism will. Don’t just be disappointed by Imus. The media is not doing so well here either.
Suprised by his comments?
Let’s take a look at his past
He famously called Rush Limbaugh “a fat, pill-popping loser” and Lesley Stahl a “gutless, lying weasel.” His exchange of insults (”fat pig”) regarding his show’s former news reader, Contessa Brewer, made news as did Brewer’s response (”cantankerous old fool”). When Tucker Carlson brought up Brewer on the program in 2005, Imus hung up on him, calling him “a bowtie-wearing [body part].”
Imus, maintaining his 2007 commitment to the U.S. troops fighting overseas, helped raise over $6 million toward Center for the Intrepid, a Texas rehabilitation facility. Considered to be the largest technological center of its kind in the country, it is designed to help treat disabled veterans and help them with their transition back into the community.
More recently, Imus took on the Veterans Administration when the Washington Post published a story uncovering the deplorable living conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Imus’s rants preceded Army resignations, including that of Gen. Kevin Kiley, then Army Surgeon General, who lived adjacent to the troubled building and testified before Congress that he had no idea of the deplorable conditions because performing barrack inspections was not in his job description. This outraged Imus, who unleashed a relentless attack on Kiley’s personal fitness for military duty and dedication to his wounded troops.
I’ve been thinking lately about how often the media shamelessly convicts people in the court of public opinion because it’s good for news. That’s a lie. They do it because it’s good for business.
Chris Knudsen touched upon it himself just today (A note on society), and that post actually reminded me of some examples that show how people get convicted for crimes in the public’s eye but not in the courts or by actual juries.
Example One: Geek Squad/BestBuy sued for tech videoing girl in the shower
Thoughts: First off, Consumerist needs to get it’s headline straight. The tech allegedly did the videoing, not the company. I think we all know why the girl (who you often see smirking in the video) is suing a deep-pocketed company instead of some perv with a fake badge and a white shirt and black tie. Is he guilty? That’s exactly what I don’t want to decide in this post.
Court of public opinion?
Watch the news story, the journalist says “This news conference has just ended, so we haven’t had time to contact either BestBuy or the Geek Squad.” That’s because the evidence seems to say guilty and the attorney didn’t want BestBuy to comment before hand. She knew the media would jump all over it and wouldn’t miss the press conference.
More examples will come soon. p.s., I actually have a new website being developed right now that will address these very issues in the media and with PR people. Stay tuned.
Hank Aaron has said he won’t attend games where Barry Bonds might break the slugger’s career home run record. If your read my blog ever, you know I love to analyze people’s statements in the press, and I chuckled at Hammerin’ Hank’s response to the question of whether he would attend to see Bonds take a shot at the record.
“I’m 72 years old, and I’m not hopping on a plane and flying all the way to San Francisco for anybody.” via Yahoo.com
Kind of funny, but the guy has a point. He also said “It’s going to be a no-win situation for me anyway. If I go, people are going to say, `Well, he went because of this.’ If I don’t go, they’ll say whatever. I’ll just let them make their own mind up.” He’s right.
I’ve wondered at times why the Army or any other armed service spends so much money on advertising campaigns for recruits when the results of the media coverage is much more powerful in getting people to not want to join. Do they really believe that some commercial about dressing up in camo and using night vision is going to alter the perceptions of the following?
I think we all get the picture. I’d even argue that the $200 million a year Army campaign is not only not working but it’s having ZERO affect on getting the recruits they want.
“We’re enlisting more dropouts, people with more law violations, lower test scores, more moral issues,” said a senior noncommissioned officer involved in Army personnel and recruiting. “We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to get people to join.” via NYTimes.com
Can you Imagine the Job Description?
World’s biggest spending budget! Great benefits. Lot’s of sun. Two-months of paid, on-the-job training. Lot’s of exercise. Free room and board. Shifts are one-year on, four months off. Work isn’t guaranteed after that, but very likely.
Now, I want to make sure and say I appreciate what the soldiers do, but I think it is completely laughable for the armed forces to think that advertising is going to counter what we’ve all read in the press on a daily basis for the last four years.
While I’m on the topic of polls, roughly 33 percent of those asked about their opinion of Mitt Romney are saying they have never even heard of the former Massachusetts Governor. He has about 10 months to change that.
Somebody called me out for not pointing to my source that indicates that Barack Obama is still getting smoked in the polling despite all the hoopla about myspace friends and YouTube videos views you read over at techpresident.com. He’s still a good distance behind Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
They we’re right for calling me out, so here’s the source. PollingReport.com.
PollingReport.com lists not just one, but numerous polls from different groups around the country. Private polls. Media polls. You name it. Some have him around 10 points behind. Some put him more like 20-plus points behind. There’s some obvious descrepancy, but not one has him ahead. And while it may appear that I’m bashing the guy, I’m not. I’m just pointing out that despite how it appears in the media and on the Internet (no. of myspace friends, 100,000 donors), polls say if the vote were held today he’d lose pretty badly. Essentially, more people are telling pollsters they will pick Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama.
Lucky for him, he has until January’s Iowa primaries to change that.
“Imus initially was given a two-week suspension for calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team “[something really uncalled for and degrading to all women]” on the air last week, but outrage continued to grow and advertisers bolted from his CBS radio show and its MSNBC simulcast.” via 
Hank Aaron has said he won’t attend games where Barry Bonds might break the slugger’s career home run record. If your read my blog ever, you know I love to analyze people’s statements in the press, and I chuckled at Hammerin’ Hank’s response to the question of whether he would attend to see Bonds take a shot at the record.
