[lit-ideas] Re: Study: Media coverage has favored Obama campaign
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:25:00 -0800
John McCreery wrote
Sociolinguist Deborah Tannen in a book titled The Argument Culture has,
I believe, suggested that the 24-hour news cycle is responsible for
promoting the idea that pairing two extreme views and giving them equal
time constitutes "balance." The original model is the courtroom, where
attorneys for the prosecution and defense take turns, each getting the
same number of rounds to present his or her case.
It isn't clear if she's including newspapers; what I was puzzled about
was how it came to be thought that newspapers (as opposed to TV) fall
under this notion of 'balance.'
In a courtroom it isn't necessary for each side to have the same number
of 'rounds,' but simply the same number of opportunities (which may or
may not be used) to examine witnesses, give opening and closing
arguments, etc. (A quibble, no more.)
One difficulty with this approach is that it tends to exclude moderate
views, which because they do not lend themselves to exciting verbal
combat, do not increase TV ratings.
Does anybody remember 'Crossfire' on CNN? All I can recall of it is that
every afternoon James Carville and Robert Novak screamed at each other
for half an hour. A lesson in democracy, reason, courtesy, and fair
play, if there ever was one.
Robert Paul
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