People of all political stripes complain the media did a poor job of covering the 2016 presidential election. But it seems just about everyone has a different idea of who is part of the media.
Shop Talk Panelist Jasmine Crighton said it seems “the media” can cover everyone from a random blogger to network reporters. She said people who criticize the media need to clarify their complaints.
Crighton feels part of the problem is the 24/7 news cycle, especially on cable television. She said it’s difficult to fill all that time with news reporting, which is why stations turn so frequently to commentators and talking heads to opine on the day’s stories.
Panelist Will Buss said some people seem to think pundits are journalists, but they’re not. Pundits share opinions, which are not always fact-based. He also said some audiences seek out sources that agree with their world view, which prevents them from getting the whole picture.
Buss said news consumers need to educate themselves so they know which sources are legitimate and which are not.
Panelist Rich Egger said even that can be difficult at times. Fox “News” seems to be considered part of the mainstream media yet it demonstrates a clear bias toward the Republican Party and conservative ideologies. He said there might be some quality journalists working for Fox but he feels the channel is more about bloviating than journalism.
