Close Pals: Politicians & the Washington Media
The issue is the media’s ability to maintain objectivity. There is growing concern that many reporters in Washington, striving to enhance their own celebrity, have gotten too close to news makers. As a result, they compromise journalistic integrity in favor of their personal career agendas.
Josh Marshall’s outstanding blog, TalkingPointsMemo, details an example of the coziness between Washington’s so-called media elite and top politicians.
Last March, the McCains threw a lavish barbecue at their Sedona, Arizona, estate for 45 top Washington reporters. Think about that for a moment – a pack of reporters from DC gather in Arizona just to hobnob, party and drink with a politician for an afternoon. It’s ethically compromising behavior by the media unheard of just a few years ago.
We might not have known about it were it not for John McCain’s daughter, Meghan, who took video of the reporters frolicking at Sedona and hanging around with her dad, and then, she posted the video on her blog.
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- Getting Very Close
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- New Media Becomes News
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Category: Featured, News Media
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I love this article David and agree with you that reporters are guilty of trying to increase their celebrity but on the flip side, there are so many citizens that have become “glued” to the tube. Not only are they seeking it (news) not only from one source but comparing all sources to seek out the truth from all perspectives.
I wonder if that alone increases our awareness and thus forces us to figure out the truth for ourselves. I find that sometimes we look at the ridiculous because its exactly that, and then it produces discussion… your thoughts?
Rhea,
You ask tough questions. Let’s me try to answer by saying that I believe the more traditional mainstream media in America has, with few exceptions, lost connection with its roots in journalism. It’s because the media companies are reeling financially from loss of revenue to online sources, and they cannot figure out what to do.
Each weekday, I am still encouraged by the high quality of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, The New York Times and a few other papers.
We are all, as you suggest, part of the problem and part of the solution because the web has opened up so many choices for us. Maybe we all just need to reconnect with our basic roots of truth, right and wrong, in order to do our parts to improve things.
What do you think?
David