by Bhumika Ghimire

Created on: August 20, 2007   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

I can understand why people think the press picks presidents. Just read the newspapers, blogs and listen to the talk radio, every one seems so sure and confident about their choice and is doing everything they can to convince us that they are right. With the influence press has it is obvious people feel that all this convincing will push people towards picking president press has already picked for them.

Nothing could be further from the truth.Lets go back a few years, Year 2004. John Kerry is riding a popularity wave, people want to get rid of republican administration, there is going to be a landslide victory for democrats. Did ANY of this happen? Press was buzzing for months about the election on John Kerry's chances but at the end it was Bush. If the press could really pick a president, well..we would be talking about President Kerry, war in Iraq would be over and America would be different(for better) but that does not happen. It is people who pick Presidents and if the majority make a mistake EVERYONE has to suffer. In case of Kerry, the press was abused by the Swift Boat people. They used the media to spread misinformation which hurt Kerry's chances.

In 2008 election cycle, in the beginning the press covered Hillary Clinton's campaign as if she had already won the Democrats nomination. Barack Obama was talked of as a "also-ran" young man. They painted her as the next US president.I distinctly remember number of well know newspapers brush off Obama's chances and praise the "Clinton machine".

During the general election too the press was busy puffing up Obama and not being objective. before the primary results they puffed up Clinton and afterwards they pushed Obama. All the while forgetting central tenet if journalism-fair, balanced and un-attached.

American press for long has been given a free ride by the political establishment and by the people. They get off easily promoting one candidate over other, reporting based on long held bias and ignoring the round facts. This has given the people a false impression that the press picks the President and they just have to vote to make the media;s decision honorable, like a fat businessman marrying his mistress to bring honor to the union.

But the fact is, press does not pick presidents. They just fluff a candidate they like and push stories favourable to that candidate so that the people will be pushed to vaote for him or her. It is the people who pick presidents, press is just an information tool.

Learn more about this author, Bhumika Ghimire.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.