How Facts & News Parted Ways
Iowa Caucus Coverage is a Symptom of Bigger Problem
Inside the media bubble, it makes sense to call the Iowa Caucus before voting begins.
Outside of that bubble, it makes no sense to anyone anywhere.
News actually needs to happen before it’s reported on. Period.
Now, newsies can squawk to the high heavens about what went down this month and why they were justified. But it doesn’t make it right. What it does is make things easier — for them — in terms of both job and conscience.
For the public, it was just yet another reminder of how news has strayed from its mission. The reality is the coverage from Iowa is a symptom of a bigger problem, which is readily overlooked by both the public and the plethora of news reports on the state of news.
The bigger problem is how national news has fallen apart due to the weakened state of local news.
Didn’t think those two things were related? Consider this: Local news provides the foundation for the house. Regional news is what comprises the main level, while national news is the upstairs, where the windows provide the broadest view.
With this in mind, the foundation is comprised of facts, which is why local news is so important to the whole news ecosystem. With less local news, there’s less needful information available. Regional and national news feed off of local, each expanding on the facts to put things into perspective for their respective audiences.
Lacking facts? The house falls down. National news has covered up the rubble by focusing largely on ideologies, philosophies, projections and opinions from anyone who’s available as opposed to anyone worth listening to.
A public hungry for facts, verified and true, isn’t getting much in the way of satisfaction from news as we know it today. National news may be trying its best to fill time and demand, but the reality is, it may well be the modern media landscape’s most notable victim. That’s something it can no longer hide.
- Jaci Clement, CEO & Executive Director, Fair Media Council jaci@fairmediacouncil.org
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About FMC
The Fair Media Council advocates for quality news and works to create a media-savvy society. Since 1979, we’ve studied the content and character of news and the impact of the changing media landscape. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FMC is headquartered on Long Island, N.Y. Find out more at fairmediacouncil.org
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