Finally, the press gets it about the coverage of Russert's death.

[Hamlette]

I know, there have been too many posts on Tim Russert. I've not read many of them but it seems many here were/are upset that some criticized him.

My issue has been the media coverage of his death. I'd expect more coverage because he was so young but still, it seemed way over the top to me.

This article sums it up for me.

Watching the cable news networks in the hours after his death, one was struck by the outpouring of admiration and affection from across the political spectrum and from journalistic colleagues of every sort. It was impossible not to be struck—once again—by just how incestuous and claustrophobic the Washington-based nexus of politics and journalism has become.

I wonder whether the media grievers gave a moment of thought to how this Russert torrent they produced played with viewers and readers. Did the grievers really think Russert was so important, so vital to the nation's course, and such an elevated human being that he deserved hour upon hour of tribute? I wonder whether any of the responsible journalists paused to think, Hey, this is really weird. We're using our unchecked editorial power to soak the nation with our tears about our friend, and that's unseemly!

On days like this, I, too, hate the press.

http://www.slate.com//id/2193689

[Kutjara]

1. It's the inevitable next stage in the news cycle.

Stage 1: Report story with big "human interest" component.
Stage 2: Analyze story to death, using as many talking heads as possible.
Stage 3: Lament excessive media coverage of story.

In this way, some minor event that should take no more than five minutes to report can be stretched into days or weeks of breathless "coverage." Meanwhile, real news with real consequences gets bumped because of "time constraints."

[physioex]

6. Huh....Kinda reminds of Kubler-Ross EOM

[spanone]

2. it's come to this. 'the news' is the news

[JDPriestly]

3. I don't watch TV, so I am not annoyed.

But I think that the commentators sense that the death of Tim Russert is the death of an era.

Air American Radio (and Jones Radio, etc.), Jon Stewart, Colbert and Olbermann have proved that there is a large audience that wants to hear from today's Democrats. The era of total and complete conservative dominance of the media is waning. It isn't dead yet, but it is waning. The conservatives are no longer credible to a large number, perhaps even a majority of people.

We will see a new generation of media spokespeople emerge, and it will include intelligent women, not just mannequins.

[Raksha]

18. The end of an era...you could very well be right about that.

But I think that the commentators sense that the death of Tim Russert is the death of an era.

I hadn't looked at it that way before, but I think you're right. It's the end of the spin era, the end of their apparently unlimited power to control the message by "shaping" the news. Too many people have seen through that trick too many times.

[FrenchieCat]

4. No they don't "pause" to "think"....which is how we got to where we are today.....

Same can be said about the media injecting race as a "matter-of-fact" manner during the primaries, and understanding that they were the ones guilty of playing the race card moreso than anyone else.

They are the reason are country is as fucked up as it is, yet they continue to consider themselves important and the central focus of our lives.

How else can one explain them cutting after Gore's endorsement to talk among themselves, as though that is what we wanted to listen to.

They are pompous and self serving, and until the media is reformed (and only if Obama is elected do we stand such a chance) they will continue being the death of us.

[Marr]

5. Incestuous is a good description.

The political establishment (which includes the corporate media), were united in their adoration for a man they should've had an antagonistic relationship with. Why so chummy? That's not the impression I'd expect an aggressive or even fair journalist to leave. It seems more like a high school clique gathering about to praise own of their own. I think a lot of regular people see it that way.

[MichiganVote]

7. The usual maudlin media

[glitch]

8. "unseemly" perfect word for the coverage. K & R nt

[Supersedeas]

20. perfect word for the usual coverage

[libodem]

9. I've got my tinfoil hat wrapped a little too tightly

but he might have been 'gotten rid of' because of his link to the Valerie Plame scandal. It's just how I feel about the current state of Washington politics. I think they dost lament too much his untimely death...so they can cover whatever CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, NSA, what ever agency gave him too much potassium or whatever untraceable element. The small aircraft disasters are becoming too overt. Yes, I actually know better but I do not trust the press or the Republicans.

[tavalon]

10. If so, all I have to say is that it is a day late and a dollar short

The should have whacked him before he talked to Fitzgerald. Nope, I really think the only thing that got to him was the cheeseburger.

[malaise]

11. Nail meet hammer -bingo!

It was impossible not to be struck—once again—by just how incestuous and claustrophobic the Washington-based nexus of politics and journalism has become.

----------
I turned off GEM$NBC until Shuster this afternoon and from the snippets they have shown of the wake, it was one more love fest with the female GE fawning talking heads sucking up to Bush. Perhaps it's all good - there are people who did watch and may wake up.

[Malloy63]

12. TOO MUCH...

RUSSERT.

It was an overload.

I came home expecting 24/7 coverage of the public wake?

What Happened?

[malaise]

14. I suspect they were feeling the backlash

via emails

[elias7]

13. Thanks for the insight...

I've been mixed about Russert. While I often enjoyed his style, I was often somewhat put off by it. He was extremely likeable, obviously well respected, and so very visible.

I liked his down-to-earth doggedness and his probing style, yet I cringed with his smug attempts to force some pol into some 2-dimensional box, and I condemn him, along with most other mainstream journalists for not being bold enough to speak the truth about the crimes of the Bush administration. His death was a shocker, sudden and so young, like a friend dying, but the press coverage seemed over-the-top, and I kept asking myself, "why is this such big news?".

Your link put the finger on my ambivalence. There is no sense of how this is playing with viewers/readers. The 4th estate has clearly has lost its' bearings, and that's perhaps the biggest shocker of all...

[skooooo]

15. yeah but will msm catch on?

[DCKit]

16. K&R, couldn't agree more and the comments ^above are insightful...

but I just had a thought.

The Republicans murdered the Fairness Doctrine (hope I got the proper term) while in control of Congress. Now that they're about to be booted out on their asses, their access to the MSM is going to suffer (due to irrelevance). Granted, they'll still have that "special" relationship, but they will no longer be the newsmakers - even as the opposition.

Justifying coverage of Republic issues 24/7 on GEM$NBC, et al, will quickly become a liability for the sNooze channels as people tune out to search for relevant (Fair and Balanced) news elsewhere. The general public will not be satisfied with a constant stream of negative stories of how the Democratic Congress and President are destroying America. Instead, people will be far more concerned with how they're going to dig us out of the hole the Republics put U.S. in.

I have a feeling the Fairness Doctrine is coming back.

[Skidmore]

17. I found it telling that self-indentified journalists felt the need to defend

the media on the Russert threads on DU. I would question that some of these ever delivered a newspaper let alone wrote an article. However, the gist of those threads/posts tended to be that ordinary folks cannot formulate informed and reasoned opinions on their own, that because someone in their inner circle dies the entire nation must give them a pass to not report serious news stories until the show of grief has ended at the time of their choosing, and that blogs and the internet are a defininte threat to their professions.

I have one thing to say to them....

Get over yourselves and start attending to the job of accurate reporting so that our nation has responsible governance.

[CreekDog]

19. I agree, it was overcovered

did they mistake him for Anna Nicole??? :hide:

[tom_paine]

21. Trying to beat back the ocean with a baseball bat.

Why is this author pissing on Timmeh's grave? Why does he hate America?

:rofl: