The Supreme Court, The Media and America

Yesterday the Supreme Court handed down some landmark rulings. And, as you might guess, you have groups of happy people and groups of not so happy people. One on my retired liberal friends felt that, “…this is the most corrupt court in my lifetime.”

Today’s blog is not about the high courts findings; but rather how the media and America handled hearing them. I’m not exactly sure when reporters and news media took a wrong turn in their reporting of national events, but it’s clearly evident that they have. I could not find a single story about how the court’s decisions affected ordinary Americans. Every report focused on the political ramifications of the court's opinions.

How will  these rulings affect the election? How will these rulings help or hurt the president? How will the Republicans and Democrats react? Will these decisions spawn new regulations? Every political group you can name was interviewed. I saw nothing from the man or woman on the street. No tea party or occupiers need apply. And I will expect nothing less when the high court rules on the Affordable Care Act in a few days.

Follow The Real Story

I have a clue for the press — politicians come and go — but the people remain to pick up the pieces when things go bad. They are the real story. A decision was made by a small group of people, to enact a law that could affect millions of people, for generations to come, and the very people it affects are totally and completely ignored by the media during the entire process.

The press is looking down the race track at the November finish line, completely ignoring the cheering crowds affected on both sides of the issue. And apparently, they will continue to be ignored, until the first Tuesday in November.

“Win With Spin?”

When did "reporting the news" become “spinning the news?” Do we have so many competing news outlets that actual reporting has become a thing of the past? Is, “If it bleeds; it leads,” the order of the day? Instead of reporting, it sounds more like lecturing. “My news source is legitimate; yours is a joke.” “What I post is factual; what you post are lies.”

The most disappointing aspect of all is, we’ve reached a point where we are no longer informed and left to make up our own minds. Instead, we rely on a news source to supply our talking points.  To think for us because we are just too busy to do the legwork. "Please tell me how, and what to think, so I can argue my (your) viewpoints with my uninformed opponents."

Think for yourself? “

“We report; you decide!” Ha — fat chance of any news organization allowing  that to happen. You must be dependent on the their news source, not the other way around. First you must be labeled, pigeonholed, categorized, cataloged and assigned the news source of your particular positional viewpoint. Any other source of information, credible or not, is “verboten.” “That network is nothing but right wing propaganda,” “That network is progressive radicals.” “That party doesn’t care about you,” “That party wants to change our way of life.” Is it any wonder the average voter is numb by the time November rolls around?

Some Final Thoughts

We have the most sophisticated communication system the world has ever known. There is not a topic or story we can’t research in a matter of minutes. Yet, in spite of that vast amount of knowledge at our fingertips, we are arguably the most ill informed electorate ever. Real Estate yard signs could be elected to office in this country. Vote for Keller-Williams or Coldwell-Banker. Decisions, decisions.

We only seek out issues and ideas we agree with, and ignore, or reject, any opposing views. Rather than think for ourselves, we have become a polarized media controlled nation. Turn on any news program for instant confirmation.