by Charing Ball
So yesterday, I was clicking through various news websites, searching for interesting stories and topics, when a thought occurred to me: Is there such a thing as a liberal mainstream media?
What struck me the most was this obvious spate of over-interest in folks like Fox News’ Glenn Beck and former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. Both have always been known for questionable stunts and inflammatory remarks and yet, the dynamite duo never fails to make political headlines, and furthermore, be taken seriously in national conversations.
For instance, this past weekend Glenn Beck hosted his Restoring Honor Rally at the Lincoln Memorial, the same spot on which Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at the infamous March on Washington. The rally, which is said to have attracted thousands of folks, was first introduced as a commemorative rally in honor of MLK and civil rights. However, the event was seen by many as more of a revival addressing family values and tradition, rather than actual politics.
This really shouldn’t have been news but alas, the coverage of the Restoring Honor revival was everywhere – even among the most liberal of news outlets. And this is not just an isolated incident.
Last week Palin made national headlines again. Not because of anything she said, but because of a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll which reported that 60 percent of Americans don’t believe that Palin could be president in 2012.
So what?
I don’t believe that she knows how to crochet and even if she happened to be handy enough with the sticks to knit a sweater, I still wouldn’t care because it is August 2010 and hot. Nevertheless, many mainstream media outlets place Palin and Beck on equal footing with stories like the Iraq War and the stagnant employment rate.
Following the antics of Palin and Beck is almost like watching a bad reality show, but instead of former celebrities and debutantes, we’re watching former politicians and political pundits. It’s gossip, pure and simple.
Yet Palin and Beck are able to manipulate this over-exposure to their benefit, proving almost daily that the more outrageous the remarks or controversial the stunt, the more limelight you can count on. Since leaving office in July 2009 Palin has made more than $12 million dollars – 100 times her former governor’s salary.
Last year, Beck made almost $32 million just last year through television projects and book deals, not to mention his heavy schedule of speaking engagements worth five and six figures.
And while I’m not flat-out accusing either of them of seeking only to capitalize on their conservatism, you do have to wonder about a governor quitting her job to pursue speaking engagements about political change and a political pundit who openly admits to being “entertainment company” who could give a ”flying crap about the political process.
To further give platform and attention to Beck and Palin almost legitimizes – if not condones – much of what they say. Their oration about “Taking back America” and “Restoring honor to the country”, not only has some obvious racial overtones, but has the potential to incite violence among their viewers, more than a few of which are working with some loose screws.
