Rethink.

Reading: Order Vs Disorder: Iraq and Civil War

Josh makes the point that the media is driven by sensationalism and, to a lesser degree, by pieties they perceive sell. It is no mistake the media is on the Left for the most part because they believe their brand of Truth is what has caused progress in America at least, um, since the time of the Progressives.

He says this is a “not so hidden” agenda, and that we can see the media “salivating” over the prospect of a civil war in Iraq, for example, that they might help cause.

I dunno what to say about this. I agree with Josh on pretty much everything, and I think he’s got it right.

At the same time, I’m a fairly regular reader of Jeff Jarvis’ Buzzmachine, and he makes the case that increased participation in the media via technology – i.e., blogging – will create a more enlightened democracy.

The pieties of the media are really, really tricky to sort out, so tricky that I’m scared to talk about sensationalism as the defining force. Especially when I can see the pieties alone as integral to the sensationalism: “This GOP candidate said this about race X, proving he’s a racist,” etc. Even overt attacks on Democrats or ideological fellow-travelers of the press come from something sacred: “We’re the media, we pursue truth no matter what the cost.”

I think if you look at the media this way, “sensationalism” is a common ground because of the confusion each journalist has about what media is all about. It’s easier to say, “here’s how your story will get noticed.” But that isn’t really “sensationalism,” not when everything individual journalists hold dear is pulsing through their work.

Jarvis has put forth the positive case for what he would like media to do – empower democracy. I think this could be a really dangerous vision, given how nasty people as a mass online are, and we probably need a more restrained ethic for journalists that sees caution more than immediate, unchecked revelation as what is essential to civic duty. After all, Jarvis’ thought, as wonderful as it is, caters to what the media already holds sacred, and could feed some of their worst delusions.

technorati tags: MSM, journalism

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