With work projects and the excitement of college football I am not following the news 24/7 the last week or so. Still I am trying to keep myself informed. Taking a small step away from politics(note a step not 100 yards) really shows me something. That is unless you are following the news closely what is deemed "important" by the blogs, talk radio, and shows on the Cable news etc is really going unnoticed. For instance I can tell you that the people I am interacting with really are not following the Presidential race. In other words despite the weekly rants about how someone needs to drop out because they are making no ground it is pretty pointless.
It seems that allegedly Rush Limbaugh said something bad about the troops and Bush said something about Nelson Mandela being killed by Saddam(note I have now learned they said no such thing) that had everyone in a uproar. Somehow I have missed all this.
However this is the important part. When people "check in" to see what the news is it is so important it be reported correctly and in context. I think the problem is that is not occurring.
The Anchoress really hits on this in a interesting post she wrote today. By the way the start of her post deals with a great book that a solider in Iraq wrote and the difference between senseless violence and the necessary use of violence. He should know because he used to be in a gang. Anyway she later turns to this subject of context and how important it is that the media gets its right. This is just part of what she says:
Here’s what troubles me. People on the left whom I long-admired, people like Russert, people like Fineman…why do they never, never speak up when a narrative veers off into blatant dishonesty? When did it become the habit of the more credible folks in the press to just duck their heads and ignore distortions made by their own industry associates? What happened to people of character being able to correct their own, once in a while, of being able to say, “wait, that’s silly; President Bush was speaking in metaphor. Wait, that’s not right, you’re taking Limbaugh out of context.” Where is the journalist who loves his profession or the Senator who loves democracy enough to want to protect credibility, enough to say, “ummm…no…I’m sorry but that’s a smear too far…” where is our Lord de l’Isle and Dudley?
Go read her entire post at No “Phoney” Solider: Gang Member to Navy Cross winner where she really explores this topic.
What is funny is I know exactly what she is talking about and saw up it close and personal. I saw that in Louisiana where politicians twisted statements by Bobby Jindal(who is running for Governor) regarding his Catholic faith to make him look like he thought Protestants were bad. When will someone speak up?
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