The Media Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks
Reported by Eleanor - August 1, 2004 -
Since the end of the convention, I have noted the cable media - FOX, CNN and MSNBC - berating themselves for their miserable coverage of the democratic convention - while praising C-SPAN. I saw it again for the 100th time this morning on Howard Kurtz, Reliable Sources (August 1, 11:55 a.m.).
This self-flogging is becoming a loud chorus, instead of dying down. Why is the discussion getting louder three days later? History tells me that when the networks create a story through constant repetition, it's for a political purpose, and I started thinking of a quote from Hamlet , "The Lady doth protest too much, methinks." (This quote is Shakespeare. The other items in "quotes" are mine.)
So, why would the networks, with such uniformity, berate themselves so relentlessly for something they all decided to do some time ago, obviously. The major networks - ABC, CBS, and NBC - are getting a royal trouncing from the cable networks, as they spread the blame around, equally criticizing each other. The blame goes something like this, "How could we have been so insensitive to the needs of the American people! Shame on us!! How can we apologize for this? We made such a horrible mistake."
The trashing of themselves is rising to a crescendo. Why would they do this? I can think of only one reason. Kurtz said that by cutting back and talking over the speakers with talking heads, and paying no attention to the convention, we sent a message that conventions don't matter, and that will be used as an "excuse" to treat republicans the same way.
Ah ha, so that's it. If this "damn us for being so bad" routine continues, and it will, they'll be "forced" to shut up at the next convention and to cover the republicans by filling the time with actual speeches instead of trivia and nonsense. I was wondering how they would pull that one off. Two conventions - two totally different approaches. After all, they have to apologize to the people who want real substance, don't they? And we live in a democracy with a right to have our political party platforms and leaders heard. The republicans will get their day in the sun without media interference. The "liberal media" must be nice.
So now we know. Watch for it.
