Knowledge is Power... Right?

Journalists are supposed to disseminate information, but they can hardly accomplish this fundamental responsibility if they lack an understanding of the topic they are covering. Ari Melber, the Net movement correspondent for The Nation who traveled with the Obama campaign for The Washington Independent, visited class and discussed some of the problems with current campaign coverage in terms of sensationalism. For example, he recounted an instance when most of the other reporters who were traveling with Obama latched onto the lipstick on a pig fiasco even though they knew firsthand that the accusations of sexism related to this comment were hollow. He speculated that their deplorable exaggeration of the story resulted from boredom, since they had been following the Obama campaign for months and were quick to jump at any break from the ordinary. According to admissions from other reporters as well as his own observations, Melber realized that many of the reporters did not have a comprehensive understanding of politics. The public suffered for the reporters' lack of knowledge, because this contributed to the media's obsession with minutiae and superficial rumors instead of substantial policy analysis.

This disturbing observation should cause us to re-examine the current state of journalism. Many members of the general public treat the media with disdain, and professional journalists and journalism majors are constantly trying to defend themselves against the scornful judgments of others. However, instead of simply claiming that not all journalists are tabloid-esque cut-throats vying for the next juicy bit of gossip so that they can blow it out of proportion in an effort to sell papers, we should turn to the mirror and finally recognize the ills plaguing the industry. Part of the solution is to encourage greater specialization so that journalism majors know more about a specific subject area instead of simply knowing how to write. This would facilitate greater depth in reporting instead of surface-level coverage of paltry stories. Journalists are professionals, and as such they should hold themselves to certain educational and ethical standards. If they are to inform the public, they first must have a firm grasp on information. Whether in political journalism or another field, journalists must make a group effort to achieve the highest possible level of expertise and help the general population develop a greater understanding of important issues.