Journalism as theater criticism

[babylonsister]

http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200903250003

Journalism as theater criticism

Published Wed, Mar 25, 2009 9:01am ET by Eric Boehlert


The New York Daily News' Kenneth Bazinet and David Saltonstall mistook last night presidential press conference for a Broadway opening.

Headlined, "President Obama's Dull Delivery During Press Conference Fails to Inspire," the two theater critics announced:

President Obama feels your pain - and your anger - but that assumes you have any feeling at all after his less-than-electrifying press conference Tuesday night. Obama used his second prime-time news conference to acknowledge disgust over AIG bonuses, but mostly he somberly urged Americans to be patient and give his multipronged economic blueprint a chance to work.

Got that? In discussing his multipronged economic blueprint, Obama was too somber. Of course, this is the same Daily News that early this week mocked Obama for being too jocular during his 60 Minutes appearance.

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More theater criticism

Published Wed, Mar 25, 2009 9:29am ET by Jamison Foser


It isn't just the Daily News. The New York Times' Peter Baker and Adam Nagourney write under the header "In a Volatile Time, Obama Strikes a New Tone for Crisis":

Americans saw not the fiery and inspirational speaker who riveted the nation in his address to Congress last month, or the conversational president who warmly engaged Americans in talks across the country, or even the jaunty and jokey president who turned up on Jay Leno.

Instead, in his second prime-time news conference from the White House, it was Barack Obama the lecturer, a familiar character from early in the campaign. Placid and unsmiling, he was the professor in chief, offering familiar arguments in long paragraphs — often introduced with the phrase, “as I said before” — sounding like the teacher speaking in the stillness of a classroom where students are restlessly waiting for the ring of the bell.

Got that? Baker and Nagourney were bored out of their minds. Where were the jokes? The yelling? The seal bouncing a beach ball on its nose? All of this policy crap is just so dull.

But Baker and Nagourney weren't done:

Mr. Obama showed little emotion. He rarely cracked a joke or raised his voice. ... his voice sounded calm and unbothered... To a certain extent, Mr. Obama’s demeanor could have been calculated ... The only time he seemed irritated ... perhaps his only joke of the night ... This was Mr. Obama as more enervating than energizing.

B'SIS: Sounds like they got their panties in a wad because NYT wasn't called on. :cry:

[LSparkle]

1. If they're so *BORED*, maybe they should go to AFGHANISTAN ...

There are PLENTY of dangerous places around the world ... yet
these "armchair reporters" just sit in D.C. and expect to be
entertained??? If they REALLY want excitement, there are
places we could really USE them doing some reporting ...

[Supersedeas]

2. staying in attack mode not matter what position is both their means and ends