24-hour News Cycle (or "Reasonable discourse takes one in the nads")

1980.

The country was filled with optimism.

Or something. I was 7, I don’t really remember. The only thing I remember from 1980 is that the first time I went to see The Empire Strikes Back, a storm knocked out the power in the first few minutes so we had to leave.  That was when I first learned what a rain check is.

But that’s not what this is about. In 1980, the landscape of television was forever altered, and the groundwork for the destruction of the American political system was laid. Okay, maybe not destruction, but at least a mangling. You see, 1980 brought us The Cable News Network, more commonly known as “What the fuck is this?” No wait, I mean, CNN.

With CNN came the beginning of the 24-hour news cycle, and the destruction of civilized discourse in American politics.

Before CNN, if a local nutball had a manifesto to promote, or a town’s colorful character said something wacky, the impact was pretty limited. Mainly to whomever the person could accost outside of Safeway or TG&Y. Over the course of a month, he might reach a few hundred people if he was really industrious.

If the person was a more notable local figure, perhaps a sheriff’s candidate, or local councilman or judge, he could maybe get on the local news, and his dumb words would be heard by a greater audience of maybe thousands. And that’s only if he was lucky, and able to get on the local news in place of kittens (or whatever).

For example, back when, I would never have heard of this story:

http://www.wmur.com/news/politics/Sheriff-candidate-says-he-wouldn-t-reject-deadly-force-to-stop-abortions/-/9857748/16225528/-/9c091s/-/index.html#ixzz24NBalFNk

An excerpt:

"I would respond specifically by saying that if someone is under threat, a full-grown human being, if they're under threat, what should the sheriff do? Everything in their power to prevent them from being harmed," he said.

When pressed about what he would do if he learned that a doctor was about to perform an elective abortion, Szabo replied he would do what it took to prevent that from happening.

"Absolutely," he said. "Well, I would hope that it wouldn't come to that, as with any situation where someone is in danger, but again, specifically talking about elective abortions and late-term abortions, that is an act that needs to be stopped."

Nope. That would have been locally contained, most likely remaining in the state of origin, and nary a whisper elsewhere.

Or this guy:

http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/Lubbock-tom-head-tax-rates-president-obama/PeO4Q8GeGEiy_FpxheUnmA.cspx

An excerpt:

“He's going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the UN, and what is going to happen when that happens?,” Head asked.

“I'm thinking the worst. Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war maybe. And we're not just talking a few riots here and demonstrations, we're talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy.

"Now what's going to happen if we do that, if the public decides to do that? He's going to send in U.N. troops. I don't want 'em in Lubbock County. OK. So I'm going to stand in front of their armored personnel carrier and say 'you're not coming in here'.

Oy vey. . .

25 years ago, I wouldn’t know who Terry Jones was, or that he wanted to put the Koran on trial. And then back out, but then do it, and then do it again a year later because he’s a publicity whore. I wouldn’t know who Fred Phelps is, nor would I have ever heard of the Westboro Baptist Church. I’d still know who Michael Phelps is because Olympics. Jack Thompson and his crusade against video games? Nope. Never would have heard of him unless all those video games drove him to homicide. Orly Taitz would be delivering Birther rants to no one but her dental victims.  Um, patients.

But I know who all of these people are. Why? Because 24-hour news, that’s why. As more and more stations and networks struggled to compete by delivering MOAR NEWS NOW, the standards for what qualified as news were lowered. Then the 24-hour news cycle met the Internet, had a freaky one-night stand, and produced a horrible thousand-headed spawn of all news all the time. Everyone and their dog could suddenly get the word out about crazy people saying stuff, and what was once local was suddenly national, or even worldwide.

And that’s great. I mean, I love citizen journalists. I think they provide a real service to the world. They are getting out important news events that we would otherwise never hear about, or would see, but only in a limited fashion with no one having boots on the ground.

But along with that is a philosophy that everything is news, and thus, every bent-headed crank out there now has an international audience for his demented conspiracy ramblings.

Didn’t I mention something about civilized discourse in American politics earlier? Oh yeah, I did.

Politicians, ever quick to capitalize on publicity, jumped on the 24-hour news cycle like it was a cheap whore and they had mad stacks of billz and never mind the rubbers. Being reasonable, if slightly mean-spirited was no longer enough to get your name out there. Well, it might get it out there, but only for 5 minutes until the next news story came along to fill the cycle. So to keep your name in the cycle, and not disappearing into obscurity, more extreme things had to be said. Rhetoric became more vicious, more pointed, more, I’ll say it, vile. I don’t’ actually believe that these folks talk to each other like this directly (for the most part).

But once the cameras are rolling, well, everyone becomes Hitler all of a sudden. And the Republicans, well, they mastered this art. And that’s why we have Fox News, which is dedicated to this particular type of delivery. The Democrats, on the other hand, tend to approach the art more like kindergarteners with finger paints.

I don’t think the folks on TV believe half of what they say, but they don’t have to believe it for it to corrupt the entire process. Because they know full well that the viewing audience only remembers the outrageous accusations, and never the retractions or apologies.

So now, reasonable discourse is lying on the ground in a fetal position muttering “oh my balls, my balls”, while deranged, demented discourse dances around like Rocky on top of the steps.

What they hell can we do about this problem?

I don’t have a clue. There’s been a cultural shift (I think maybe the phrase is “paradigm shift”?) that will be terribly difficult to reverse. I think news outlets would have to stop trying for ratings, and print media would have to accept that its day has gone. I think the people saying the crazy, hateful things would have to stop being selfish gits, and put the health of the nation above their own fame, fortune, and legacies.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, right. Okay, that isn’t going to happen.

No, for this to change, two things have to happen.

First, the audience needs to stand up and say “Stop it! Stop acting like children or you’re going to your rooms without supper until you think about what you’ve done!”

Second, the people reporting the news need to stop reporting every stupid thing someone says. Not all views deserve equal air time. Sometimes, one in a “both sides” situation is utter nonsense and doesn’t deserve a fair hearing. Period. If an interviewee says something wack, the journalist needs to call him on it, not sit there and nod sagely while muttering “Go on.”

Unfortunately, I think that for these two things to happen, there will have to be an even greater cultural shift than the one that landed us here.

Crap, I have to go now. Apparently some guy in BFE thinks the President is a reptiloid and I just have to see this story!