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Presidential Elections 2008

US elections 2008: Assessing the media's negative impact on the campaign

A few days ago, during the Democrat debate, Senator Clinton complained about media bias. Her complaint, in my view had merit since; the media focused on Mrs. Clinton's failing campaign, but with the exception of this last debate, they seem to avoid asking tough questions to Senator Obama. Glenn Beck commented: "Welcome to my world".

When Governor Romney attempted to run for President, the media concentrated their questions, not on his political record, but on his religion. And I thought that we live in America, where you are free to practice your religion.

When politicians are found to be corrupt; Senator Jefferson and his $90000 dollars found in his refrigerator, Sandy Berger stealing documents and shoving them in his socks, Madam Speaker of the House real estate deals, Congressman Murtha defaming our troops, etc, the media mentions it once or twice, but go back to concentrate on President Bush or whatever any other inanity is in their minds, like Britney, or her sister.

When American kidnappings on the border with Mexico by drug lords happen often enough to beat American kidnappings in Iraq, and the press does not cover the story, and when drug lords have more power than the people who protect our borders, there is something wrong here. Where are the investigative reporters? And when the story is uncovered, why it is only mentioned once in the news, or buried at the end of the newspapers?

Why haven't we heard about the article written by Angelina Jolie for the Washington Post on 28 February 2008? In it she says and I quote: "As for the question of whether the surge is working, I can only state what I witnessed: U.N. staff and those non-governmental organizations seem to feel they have the right set of circumstances to attempt to scale up their programs. And when I asked the troops if they wanted to go home as soon as possible, they said that they miss home but feel invested in Iraq. They have lost many friends and want to be a part of the humanitarian progress they now feel is possible." ( 1 March 2008.)

The media is powerful, they have the power to inform and they have the ability to influence the outcome of history; however, journalism is not intended to change history, or to influence anyone. Its purpose is to inform, to report the news in an impartial way.

That does not mean that they are not influencing the elections here in the United States. By not reporting on the successes of our troops in Iraq, and being a mouthpiece for the


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US elections 2008: Assessing the media's negative impact on the campaign

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US elections 2008: Assessing the media's negative impact on the campaign

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