Glad I caught your attention with this reference to Mark Felt in the Watergate scandal!
Last week, we spoke in class about the prevalence of scandals that plagued or are currently plaguing the political scene and its widespread coverage in the media.
Last week, we spoke in class about the prevalence of scandals that plagued or are currently plaguing the political scene and its widespread coverage in the media.
Many of these scandals involve sexual misconduct and other related personal matters that might not directly, if at all, impact the leadership positions and the work carried out by elected officials under scrutiny. Indeed, last class, I was left wondering about such media coverage, which led me to cry out: "who cares?!" Who cares what people do in their private lives?!!
Private life is private by definition, and what elected officials do in a bedroom should be of no concern to us as voters or as people. As long as their private life doesn't negatively impact their work ethics or performance on the job, I truly believe that it is none of my business to know that an elected official cheated on his or her spouse with an attractive young intern.
At that point, Professor Adler rightly pointed out that I am French, which could explain my position on the matter. Aside from the gap dividing the European and American cultures, our political experiences are not the same. From a cultural standpoint I could refer you to the movie "Eurotrip" which quite accurately depicts a few differences between what some describe as "the American puritan culture" and the "open" European society.
That being said, Professor Adler explained that the Watergate scandal, among other things, had a profound and lasting impact on the American political scene and altered the public opinion with regards to the expectations and values an elected official must embody. However, despite the fact that I understand this difference in political experience and find some value in this explanation, I think that it cannot completely account for that thirst among the American public for fresh gossip.
For a long time, I have observed a shift in media coverage and subjects of discussion among various social groups, ranging from college students on various campuses to adult professionals sharing news over dinner. Gossip is now prevalent in our discussions and occupies a primordial place during our social interactions, which leads me to think that our media coverage is not a cause but rather a result of what society demands.
From TV reality to Facebook, we enjoy observing others interact in social circles outside our own. Therefore, the fact that many people enjoy "stalking" our most celebrated political rock stars would not be a consequence of past disturbing events, but instead would culminate from a modern societal problem where people are more concerned about the life of strangers than about their own.
For that reason, I believe that our current media coverage is not to blame. Newspapers are trying to sell and compete against various online blogs, often depicting strong and one-sided point of views, while TV newscasters are trying to survive amidst a sea of ridicule and counter-productive shows. The day on which the people will change their priorities and demand NEWS, the media outlets will be forced to comply and supply the demand.
I agree with you. I think that because the public has a lower interest in hard news and real political issues, therefore the media must lower its level of news to grab the attention of the people who care more about fashion and gossip, otherwise they will not have readers. I think it is a sad, but true reality.
ReplyDeleteIt is important that our leaders lead moral lives. I they cannot be trusted to act for the good of others in their private lives, who is to say that they can be trusted to do right by their constituents. Nixon is an archetypal example of this. Public leaders should be expected to act a paradigms of virtue.
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