Media Interlopers
"The Cosmopolis" by Jonathan C. Ulrich '02
Jonathan C. Ulrich '02
Issue date: 11/27/00 Section: Column
A heavy pall hung over Tallahassee last week as lawyers for still hopeful presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore brought their arguments concerning the hand recount of Florida ballots to the state Supreme Court. Citizens of the Sunshine State wept openly in the streets, mourning the death of their precious democracy while sharing in the bereavement of their disenfranchised Palm Beach brethren. Fidel Castro sat smugly ninety miles away, puffing gleefully on a robust victory cigar as he watched his evil capitalist adversary crumble under the weight of a full-blown constitutional crisis.
At least, that was the story according to the “authorities” at the major television and cable networks, those heralds of up-to-the-minute news who have distorted the developments of this election from the final hours of voting to the drawn-out legal procedures which followed. If the American viewing public had foreseen the Election Day circus of “called” and “retracted” victories; the flood of inconsequential “Breaking News” reports; the elaborate examination of stray marks and ever-important chads; or the melodramatic debate over the continued credibility of America’s political institutions and electoral processes, they might have turned off their televisions at the first outbreak of those pesky polls many months ago.
Alright, who am I kidding? These are the same Americans who sat glued to the screen for hours to watch the riveting 45 mph “chase” between O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco and the neat formation of LAPD squad cars following close behind. The American public loves this kind of drama — and the TV networks know it all too well. Their presentation of the election has consistently reflected an emphasis on appealing to the viewing audiences, at times with an apparent disregard for the truth. The daily race to feature the most recent revelations and dazzling figures has caused a great deal of confusion, filling the minds of the public with false notions of an “up-for-grabs” presidency which jeopardizes the very institutions and laws upon which this country was founded.
At least, that was the story according to the “authorities” at the major television and cable networks, those heralds of up-to-the-minute news who have distorted the developments of this election from the final hours of voting to the drawn-out legal procedures which followed. If the American viewing public had foreseen the Election Day circus of “called” and “retracted” victories; the flood of inconsequential “Breaking News” reports; the elaborate examination of stray marks and ever-important chads; or the melodramatic debate over the continued credibility of America’s political institutions and electoral processes, they might have turned off their televisions at the first outbreak of those pesky polls many months ago.
Alright, who am I kidding? These are the same Americans who sat glued to the screen for hours to watch the riveting 45 mph “chase” between O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco and the neat formation of LAPD squad cars following close behind. The American public loves this kind of drama — and the TV networks know it all too well. Their presentation of the election has consistently reflected an emphasis on appealing to the viewing audiences, at times with an apparent disregard for the truth. The daily race to feature the most recent revelations and dazzling figures has caused a great deal of confusion, filling the minds of the public with false notions of an “up-for-grabs” presidency which jeopardizes the very institutions and laws upon which this country was founded.