Watching the present Democratic debates live, it is highly apparent in the moderating and questioning selections that we are very much hostage in the USA to a media that seeks sensationalism over content. If you have time to tune in now, Senator Obama is standing up for more accountability to the issues that matter in this election race. When this debate ends, I'll post a few highlights along these lines, and I'd like to discuss when and how the cheapening of journalism into superficial sensationalism can be overcome.

Well, it's certainly not just an American issue. Interesting to see that the phrase has made it all the way to the New Country though.

http://www.bl.uk/learning/images/front%20page/gotcha-st.jpg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/feb/25/pressandpublishing.falklands

By chance, the war coincided with a pay strike by the journalists' union so, on the evening of May 2, only a dozen executives, including me, were producing the paper when the first genuinely dramatic war news broke. A news agency reported that the General Belgrano had been hit. Wendy Henry shouted "Gotcha!", not as a suggested headline but as a spontaneous reaction, the kind of black joke common to every newspaper office. MacKenzie seized on it and designed a front page which said: "GOTCHA. Our lads sink gunboat and hole cruiser." The first edition was off stone before more detailed news of the Belgrano's sinking arrived.

It dawned on us that there might have been a huge loss of life, and as Petrie read the agency reports aloud, the mood changed. Realising that "Gotcha" might be inappropriate, MacKenzie drew up another front page with a new headline: "Did 1,200 Argies drown?" The Sun's owner, Rupert Murdoch, happened to walk on to the floor as MacKenzie was completing the new layout and said he didn't see the need to replace "Gotcha". MacKenzie disagreed and subsequent editions carried the less controversial line.

Without a strike, it's likely that the original page one would have been altered so quickly that few copies would have left the building. But the time it took to make the change ensured that hundreds of thousands of the first edition were published and "Gotcha" came to symbolise ever after the Sun's, and MacKenzie's, cynical, jingoistic, bloodthirsty war coverage.

Despite his change of heart, MacKenzie happily embraced the legend of "Gotcha". Indeed, the day after the Belgrano's sinking, the Sun's front page, "ALIVE! Hundreds of Argies saved from Atlantic", played down the fact that 368 men were killed. Later, comparing death to a game of football, MacKenzie produced the headline: "BRITAIN 6 (Georgia, two airstrips, three warplanes), ARGENTINA 0."

You mean British tabloids aren't all paragons of responsible and objective journalism? You Brits started this? For shame.

Anyway, Obama is right now doing an admirable job elevating the debate in spite of the Gotcha "Journalists", while Clinton is struggling to keep out of the gutter so as not to be upstaged by reason. Obama dominates her when it comes to straight talk, and I expect he will do the same to McCain.

Both candidates are articulating Iraq and Mideast policies that are a tremendous contrast from the McCain campaign. The Republicans are going to be in real trouble over Iraq, unless there is a new tragedy to incite further US rogue-rage.

Nor will economic-policy sentiments favor a de facto neocon incumbency.

Tonight's moderating is becoming more issue-oriented as the debate continues. There is an advantage in a debate over sound-byte telejournalism and frontpage news. It seems that the network front-loaded the venue for the sensationalism that they consider viewers to be most titillated by. I'm hoping for the growth of US audiences that are cognizant of the challenges ahead, and want more out of journalism than superficial games of gotcha. It would be interesting to know how many USAmericans tune out when the debate gets beyond gaffy gotchas and into the issues profoundly impacting our lives, our liberty, and our pursuits of happiness- and after the break, GUNS! MADMEN! MAYHEM! Maybe I spoke to soon, thinking this debate was getting beyond sensationalism.

Some of Charlie Gibson's last words as moderator, to the sound of jeers, after ABC closed with a lopsided commentary that darkly mentioned vague reference to "questions about Obama" with no rebuttal:
The crowd is turning on me

Good. It's about time. I hope he's dragged out, tarred, and feathered by Philadelphians.

Debate Transcript (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/us/politics/16text-debate.html)

Last night was a disgrace. I could of swore that was Britt Hume and Sean Hannity moderating that debate. How can any self respecting news organization spend the first hour covering tabloid sensationalism. The daliy kos, huffingtonpost, Democraticunderground etc, are in upheaval over this deplorably moderated debate.

That wasn't a debate. That was an abortion.

Steph and Gibson disgraced themselves last night.

Apparently ABC wanted to ask the questions that Hannah Montana fans everywhere wanted to know.

The barbarians aren't exactly at the gate yet, but if you look closely at night, you can see their campfires up on the hillsides.

Like General Lee camped with his armies enjoying a pretty view of Washington.

No, things will actually become more hostile than that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0DtMZgUCeY

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08)

I'm still mad, but getting a little more sleepy waiting for Tiassa to post something mad. Or mod. Or at least smarter than me.

Give us a bed-time opus, before sleep briefly knits up this raveled thread.

The Historic Brush-Off (video) (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/04/17/sot.obama.criticizes.abc.debate.cnn)

I've been up for 72 hours, waiting for Tiassa and the Counte to reflect/deflect here. Sheeesh. Do the Coulter-boobies offend?

That wasn't a debate. That was an abortion.

Steph and Gibson disgraced themselves last night.

Apparently ABC wanted to ask the questions that Hannah Montana fans everywhere wanted to know.


LOL, you people are funny.
As soon as a left-wing candidate starts getting hard questions that Republicans get all the time, it's :bawl::bawl::bawl: time....

See Post 10

LOL, you people are funny.
As soon as a left-wing candidate starts getting hard questions that Republicans get all the time, it's :bawl::bawl::bawl: time....


I hope this was directed at me. I really do.

It's been a while since I took a noob out back and sent him home with the fire ass.

Sick 'im, I just wanna lurk.

LOL, you people are funny.
As soon as a left-wing candidate starts getting hard questions that Republicans get all the time, it's :bawl::bawl::bawl: time....

since when do republicans get hard questions? Before you start prattling on about things get your facts straight