Did Media Bias Save America?
In the Philadelphia Daily News, Will Bunch argues that media bias in the past election was ok, and even necessary, because it saved America. Because it got Barack Obama elected so that he can undue all the nasty stuff those stupid Republicans have been doing.
It was living proof of my personal belief that the greatest role for journalists is not to make sure that every story has 50 percent of one side and 50 percent of the other side – but that the vital function for reporters is to preserve democracy and the freedom of the press, because without those freedoms a valid media would cease to exist. Yes, they’re voicing outrage today inside the sacred sanctuary of the Temple of Objective Journalism , where the celebrants nervously fingered their rosaries rather than confront the Constitutional bonfire that was building outside.
But for eight years now, there’s been an out-of-control fire raging outside of that temple – a fire that was built upon the USA Patriot Act and Guantanamo and rendition and torture and signing statements and 16 words in a State of the Union Address. Ultimately, saving the last fabric of democracy is more important than worrying about what contrived commandments of journalism were stepped on while the blaze was finally extinguished.
I myself would call it truth-telling, and honest journalism, but now we have some who want to call it “media bias.” That’s fine with me, but understand this.
“Media bias” may have just saved America .
Putting arguments about the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay aside, the problem here is that journalists aren’t supposed to actively favor one side over another. The whole point of journalism is for a select few professionals to gain access to the powers that be and report on their activities in an objective way so that the rest of us can be the sort of informed electorate a democracy like America needs to survive. If the journalists all decide they’re going to favor one candidate over another that objectivity is lost, the electorate is less informed and our democracy is damaged.
But talking about the Bush administration’s threats to the first amendment, I honestly think that some of Obama’s policies (such as his subtle push toward re-instating the Fairness Doctrine) portend much more serious threats to free speech and freedom of the press than anything President Bush and Republicans have done in the last eight years.
