Shutdown coverage fails Americans

[cleanhippie]

U.S. news reports are largely blaming the government shutdown on the inability of both political parties to come to terms. It is supposedly the result of a "bitterly divided" Congress that "failed to reach agreement" (Washington Post) or "a bitter budget standoff" left unresolved by "rapid-fire back and forth legislative maneuvers" (New York Times). This sort of false equivalence is not just a failure of journalism. It is also a failure of democracy.

--snip--

The truth of what happened Monday night, as almost all political reporters know full well, is that "Republicans staged a series of last-ditch efforts to use a once-routine budget procedure to force Democrats to abandon their efforts to extend U.S. health insurance." (Thank you, Guardian.) And holding the entire government hostage while demanding the de facto repeal of a president's signature legislation and not even bothering to negotiate is by any reasonable standard an extreme political act. It is an attempt to make an end run around the normal legislative process. There is no historical precedent for it. The last shutdowns, in 1995 and 1996, were not the product of unilateral demands to scrap existing law; they took place during a period of give-and-take budget negotiations.

But the political media's aversion to doing anything that might be seen as taking sides — combined with its obsession with process — led them to actively obscure the truth in their coverage of the votes. If you did not already know what this was all about, reading the news would not help you understand.

--snip--

But the lack of accountability is arguably even worse because it has the characteristics of a cascade failure. When the media coverage seeks down-the-middle neutrality despite one party's outlandish conduct, there are no political consequences for their actions. With no consequences for extremism, politicians who have succeeded using such conduct have an incentive to become even more extreme. The more extreme they get, the further the split-the-difference press has to veer from common sense in order to avoid taking sides. And so on.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/1/reporting-governmentshutdowndemocracy.html

[yesphan]

1. If it weren't for

a complicit media, the republicans would never have set out to do what they are doing.

An non-corrupt 4th estate would not let them get away with this crap.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. complicit....as in purcha$ed. With a dash of laziness and a pinch of low intellect.

[cleanhippie]

3. "When the media coverage seeks down-the-middle neutrality despite one party's outlandish conduct..."

When the media coverage seeks down-the-middle neutrality despite one party's outlandish conduct, there are no political consequences for their actions.

[Coyotl]

4. Fargo Forum = the shortest, must damning editorial yet on the federal government shutdown

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/413879/

When inevitability of a partial federal government shutdown was clear, the Republican Caucus of the U.S. House sent out its most articulate members to justify obstructionism. It was a bizarre performance by spinmeisters, who certainly knew they were spinning an alternative reality.

Asked to restate the goals of the tea party wing of the House, a spinner said: to avoid a government shutdown and to delay or defund Obamacare. A perplexed reporter pointed out that House Republicans achieved neither. The government is shutting down; Obamacare insurance exchanges are up and running as of Tuesday.

If that’s what Republicans call success, how do they define failure?

[Heather MC]

5. At Least Rachael Maddow has been telling the truth. Unfortunately the right people aren't listening

[Coyotl]

6. The cartoonists are always a good reflection of public opinion.

[BlueToTheBone]

7. MSNBC is a premium channel

Fox is on the free channel. Few hear Rachel, everyone can hear Fox

[tavalon]

8. I don't have cable of any ilk

I do however, have internet. I listen and watch Rachel often. Used to watch Olbermann too.

[cleanhippie]

9. Premium channel? What carrier?

[BlueToTheBone]

12. Satellite

Dish and Direct

[locks]

10. Aljazeera America

Doing a good job; hope you can get it. In Boulder it's on Comcast but I have to pay $10 more a month for another "package" I don't want. If you check online you can see if it's available in your area if you have the "right" cable companies.
The shows on other countries are excellent. The news actually gives you some true information.

[Rex]

11. It is sad that the M$M hates democracy so much.

If we had a real media in this country, Dubya would have never won two elections.

[BlueToTheBone]

13. He didn't win ever.

He stole both elections.