Media as Objective Self-Critic
Robert Burns wrote long ago, "O would someone the giftie give us to see oursilves as ithers see us."
I, too, would prefer to be my own critic, as you now are doing, selective focus group notwithstanding. I, like you, am much more objective about myself than anyone else could be. CNN, do you get it?
The question is not only whether the media seeks out the most flagrant ‘news’ to report. The more important question is how the media anchors, journalists, commentators, and pundits of all stripes Frame the Issue when it is covering a nationally critical issue. Along with that, what aspects of a large issue do the ‘media’ focus on?
For example, on the first Iraq war, the Gulf War, I do not recall the media mentioning Kuwait’s slant well drilling as the major provocation of Saddam’s attack on Kuwait. On the second Iraq war, I do not recall the media mentioning the fact that Saddam’s military arsenal, fighter planes and the like, having been bombed to smithereens by us and the sanctions having practically starved the Iraqis to death. Furthermore, no one analyzed why Saddam blustered out that if attacked the West would suffer the "Mother of All Wars." State Department surely knew Saddam was making a mock threat of using WMDs on our invading troops. Pentagon and the CIA well knew that this was utterly impossible for him to do.
Also, the historical background of issues like these is given short shrift.
I shake my head wondering how you continue to get away with this. Why Congress and the White House play deaf and dumb.
I cannot believe that you are all numbskulls or total sell outs to big oil and military associated corporations. I give you the benefit of the doubt that the fast paced 24/7 news cycle induces a "shoot first and ask later" or "shoot from the hip at any shaking bush" mentality. Maybe your judgment is not deficient or impaired. Due to those conditions, maybe you are just subject to a meth-like mentality of impulsivity that decommissions such mental faculties and operations as memory, thorough research, thinking, and judgment.
Your audiences might have been just as inflamed and devoted to watching if aspects of issues like those were covered. Maybe you would come up with enticing stuff if those mental faculties had been fully functioning. Of course, that might require rehiring really good investigative journalists.
Remember, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. I must admit I am doing so with tongue in cheek!