 | James Miller Miller on Tap |
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I can hear Edward R. Murrow rotating in his grave. I used to take criticism of the media with a grain of salt. After all, I'm a journalist. Many of my favorite people are journalists. Our job is to kick over rocks and shine the light of truth into the scum-covered hovels of American society (is that idealism I smell?) People who are unwilling to believe there is scum get a little uncomfortable. Killing the messenger is very "in" these days.
But lately I find my faith withering. Maybe we're as bad as everyone says we are. Maybe the media are a bunch of sore-licking, wound-tearing toadies without the brains to do anything better than dredge up the worst and most terrifying that our culture has to offer and lay it bare, with no comment or conviction.
As usual, allow me to elucidate with an example.
I was watching "20/20" Friday night. The first story was that of a wealthy woman with two children who leaves her husband to marry a convicted serial murder on death row and is now going back to law school to help with his retrial defense. The second consisted of men who watch too much sports on TV and the effects it has on their marriage.
There's so much about this that chaps my behind. Let's try this in order.
First: What a freaking waste of time! "20/20" is one the most highly rated news programs on TV. Because it's an hour long it does not have the time restrictions that the regular network news does. Since they have 15 to 18 minute segments, "20/20" has the ability to explore issues in far greater depth than Dan Rather and other toupee journalists. This program came in the wake of the election, meaning that Hugh and Barbara had things like campaign finance reform, the death of the Republican revolution and Congress' new bipartisanism to choose from. And they choose a redneck wedding.
Second: What possible significance does this have to anybody? "20/20" didn't even make an effort. There was no claim that the story was an allegory of the plight of married women in America, no attempt to make it a touching story of a love struck suitor trapped behind bars. The guy was obviously guilty. He had that raccoon-in-a-garbage-can grin about him, practically bragging to the camera that he had fooled this woman into believing he was innocent and that he had suckered her into nuptials. And she ... well she was so stupid as to defy description.
The story about the TV sports addicts had pretty much the same problems. There is nothing about these people that is of interest to anybody else. Woman meets man. Man watches too much TV. Woman is unhappy. Woman wishes man would watch less TV. Well so what. Your husband watches too much TV and you want him to be more attentive. And I want a pony.
Important things happen everyday in this country that could be on the news. Instead I'm treated to marriage counseling in a double wide trailer. Isn't that nice, a treat for me. Here's that same story in one sentence: Idiots shouldn't marry.
I kept expecting Hugh Downs to interrupt the broadcast with a late breaking announcement about the sinking of the Maine. This really is the rebirth of yellow journalism. If this is the gruel we keep offering to the public, no wonder they hate us and mistrust us. This kind of thing isn't even to the level of "Hard Copy" and the like. At least they're honest about what they do. They are very comfortable with the fact that they exist solely for the purpose of cheap titillation (and who am I to bad-mouth cheap titillation?) But "20/20" is still under the impression that they are the vendors of serious news.
It was the worst kind of transgression: Sensationalism dressed in the clothing of sanctimony. It was so lurid and vile. In both cases, the people involved were in rather serious emotional trouble. But the point of the show wasn't to address that. The point was to stick the camera in their faces and humiliate them because they are too stupid to know better, to bolster the egos of the viewership.
"20/20" deserves to have its collective fanny taken out behind Walter Cronkite's woodshed and whipped. Other loud-mouthed columnists have complained, like I have, that the electorate is stilted and uninformed. But as long as this kind of fried tripe continues to pass for educating and informing the public, the cycle of stupidity will continue.
Hugh, Barbara and all of your carrion-eating kin, stop it. Your duty is to educate, not to appall and shock. The country will remain stupid as long as you treat it as such.
- James Miller can be reached over e-mail at jamespm@umich.edu.