The Scratching Post blog has some thoughts on “On Newspapers and Spectator Sports:”
I don’t read newspapers very often. Yesterday morning, I was sitting in our family room, having coffee with my wife and was reading the San Diego Union. The news story on the front page had something to do with some government budgetary issue. The piece was written like it was a sporting event. There were a few facts and then there were reactions from Democrats and Republicans as if their contests were what mattered. Nowhere in the story did it talk about what the reader was going to face as a consequence of the decisions being made by the government. We had as much to do with what was going on as fans at a football game.
As I read the piece, my reaction to the author’s point of view seemed odd until I realized what was going on. I was used to reading blogs like Instapundit and Mish where the blog is focused on what the news means to me. Mish and the Puppy Blender succeed because what they write is aimed at me as a participant instead of me as a spectator.
And yet curiously, as I wrote in 2005, when they actually covering spectator sports, the local media are often far more engaged and honest, because they’re willing to admit which team they’re rooting for, and the media, the team, and their fans are united together. In contrast, when it comes to reporting on politics, the media has a nasty habit of praising the politician and attacking the voters, a recipe that’s sure to alienate audiences, as the above blogger highlights.
Related: “Rasmussen: Gov’t workers a lot more optimistic on economy than private sector.” Wonder why?
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