|
I think it's about half the fault of the people and half the fault of the press. It's a circular relationship, where each drags the other down in a spiral of decreasing quality.
The fact is, people are drawn to gossipy crap like John Edwards' haircut and Obama's bowling score. It's easy for them to parse, and doesn't require much thought. As for the press, on one hand I'm sure there are people who would love to report on serious stories that are more complex, but it's just easier to report on the simple stuff, not to mention that it gets more viewers.
I think the loss of news departments as loss leaders has really hurt our country in terms of public awareness of important issues. But the people play a necessary role in that, because if detailed reporting on complex issues could gain viewers (and, in turn, profit), then we'd have more of it.
On a related note, I just read that the League of Women Voters looked at 3,231 questions asked of the candidates in televised debates and interviews, and only 8 - yes, eight - concerned global warming. That despite the fact that a Zogby poll last year showed that over 30% of voters planned to take a candidate's environmental stance into account when voting.
__________________
Le temps détruit tout
"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling
|