Friday, November 12, 2010

Conflict...and the Role of 24 Hour Cable News in Shutting Down the Debate

I watched MSNBC's Rachel Maddow interview satirist and fake news guy Jon Stewart (The Daily Show) last night:

Jon offered that what most Americans are feeling is not a left/right conflict, but that 24 hour cable news has amplified the Democrats vs Republicans fight in Washington as "The Fight"- and that is not the right fight – that both sides have their own way to shut down debate and that cable news has made this fight “the story” that is covered rather than corruption vs non-corruption, etc. 24 hours news, because of their need to fill the airwaves, heighten the red-blue divide, have in essence created a “tribal conflict,” that cable network news and programs like Maddow's, as well as those on CNN, Fox, amplify the conflict of Washington to continually stress that divide. As he said, it leads to the shutting down of debate as we grant amnesty to those we agree with and demonize those we don’t agree with.

The comments of Jon Stewart bring a fresh perspective to the sad political state of America. His criticism and point of view are sure to stir up political discussion and strong views from partisan political commentators.  I would be interested in your comments after you listen to the interview.

No comments:

Post a Comment