Media manipulation of Covid 19 is disgusting.
As I watch the daily Covid 19 update press conferences with the President and his team I am incredulous and angered by the attempts of media reporters who pose twisted, biased and really ignorant questions. Now, not all of the reporters at those press sessions suffer from this tendency or need, but too many do. I recognize that certain reporters cover certain topics or issues and will want to know how current Covid 19 events relate to their beat; and that understandable. But repeated attempts to bait the speakers with loaded questions in search of a controversial comment that is twistable enough to become their headline is an injustice to both the the people they are supposed to serve and the honorable profession they claim to be part of.
Though I dislike the moments when reporters get called on that sort of behavior I am in complete support when it happens. When Secretary Pompeo hits back at reporters making false or knowingly inaccurate statements I applaud him. When President Trump calls out reporters for asking purely inflammatory questions I applaud him. When international reporters ask questions blatantly wrapped in state propaganda I appreciate them being called on it. But I would rather not see that behavior at all.
The problem with the news media today is that the “NEWS” has become a product that they all have to sell. Like all products there is a need to promote it’s viability or validity over all other such products. Like all products it needs messaging that grabs the attention of the target audience; that allows their product to stand out among all the other competing products in the market place. In an attempt to get that done, reaching for that incredible headline, that explosive sound bite becomes a necessity of news media product survival. And they will stoop to any depth for it to survive, so much so that asking questions that seek to create or perpetuate their biased views, baiting leaders during times of crisis in pursuit of those headlines or sound bites has become the goal rather than the actual truth in the story.
There is a long, long trail of false and misleading stories and/or commentaries that have come from major news outlets in print, web and broadcast media. All one needs to do is pay attention for more than a minute and you can plainly see that happen. Pumped up talking heads get together around a table and spout opinion and speculation as if it were fact. Then, when the truth comes out , knowing they will never held accountable they just move on to the next inflammatory topic; and if one doesn’t exist they will simply create one. And then, more than a few times a year they all get together and award each other prizes for their great work.
In much of American industry there is a practice of self-regulation. It is not always practiced to it’s full potential, but it does happen. Even though it is well known that media misinformation is common, and often done purposefully, and frequently from certain sources or individuals, “NEWS” media rarely, if ever, calls the perpetrators of such within it’s ranks to task. I doubt that they ever will, but my hope is that some Snopes-like group will not only look closely at this behavior but name names and shame those who engage in pushing such garbage on to the world….and maybe even award the anti-Pulitzer each year.
