After reading today’s assignment about biases in the media
it made me think of media in a different perspective. “If there is a single
most important flaw in the American news style, it is the overwhelming tendency
to downplay the big social, economic, or political picture on favor of the
human trials, tragedies, and triumphs that sit at the surface of events”. This
sums up our media presentations. If we think back to when Mitt Romney and Newt
Gingrich declared that they were going to run for the president of the United
States, the main headlines were about how many wives Newt Gingrich had and why
they were separated or how Mitt Romney has too much money. Instead of reporting
on what the nominees stand for they are reporting on their person life. I
realize that personality of a president is important and does have an effect on
how he/she reacts in the White House but reporters are taking it to the next
level.
So what should the line be?
ReplyDeleteIs asking a candidate about questionable moral choices too much, if it has to do with their candidate's marriage?
Is asking a candidate if they perhaps don't feel the pain that most Americans do economically too much, when that candidate goes making $10,000 bets on national television?
Is asking a candidate to expound upon their religious beliefs too much, when a great number of Americans find a candidate's views to be extreme?
Is asking a candidate to explain his affiliation with a newsletter from twenty years ago too much, when that newsletter is found to have promoted bigoted thoughts during his tenure?
My point is, by putting forward one's name for the office of President, one loses any sense of privacy outside of one's mind and the law, and deservedly so. The Chief Executive, by volunteering to take the office, must be open to inspection, both professionally and personally. If they are uncomfortable with this, they should not be running for the office.
I do certainly believe that placing your name in for the presidential election does remove any privacy experienced by the average American. However, it is still strange to base a candidate's governing ability on the marriage history.
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