Late Night Question of the Day: How Will Today's Bailout Requests Play in the Mainstream Media Tomorrow?

Justin Berkowitz
by Justin Berkowitz

After watching my local news tonight (and stay tuned for Seinfeld, next, on Fox 5), and the 6th-grade bailout coverage, I’m eager to hear what the mainstream media will say about the bailout plans tomorrow. During GM’s press conference, one intrepid reporter asked “How long will $4 billion last?” and the response was Fritz Henderson having a Coke and a Smile. The bailout itself has taken on such epic persona that it’s tough for the mainstreamers to capture. But it will be difficult, still, for them to understand the intricacies of the hogwash from Chrysler and GM’s reports. I mean, they’re so full of BS that I could do an entire between-the-lines editorial made up of 800 single-word sentences.

To those of you that read this before the morning portion of the 24-Hour Bemuse Cycle: What are they going to botch and how?

To those reading this after it’s covered by the big 3 cable news companies (CoNN; the media wing of the Conservative Party—known as FoxNews; and the alliance of Seattle-Boston-Chicago-New York-Ithaca-Burlington newsies (also known as MSNBC)), what did they say that you found flagrantly offensive and factually incorrect?

Justin Berkowitz
Justin Berkowitz

Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.

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  • Aegea Aegea on Feb 18, 2009

    The Washington Post has a fairly good (i.e., pessimistic) piece. Here's the lead sentence: "Only one thing lies at the end of the pothole-strewn road for America's automobile industry: smaller companies making fewer cars with fewer workers and dealers." Another quote: "whether the restructuring process the ailing giants undertake is called bankruptcy may be largely a matter of semantics." And here's one I really like (from Toyota): "in the end . . . what you'll see is a much more competitive market and two models of automobiles: one as an appliance for people who don't care about cars, and the next as a social icon much like the iPhone and iPod." So, would you rather drive a PC or a Mac?

  • Geeber Geeber on Feb 18, 2009

    People are getting their news from different sources. Just as people no longer automatically go to GM, Ford or Chrysler when it comes time to buy a new car, they no longer automatically turn on ABC, CBS and NBC (or pick up Time and Newsweek) to receive their daily dose of the news. This is good and bad. It's good because it highlights the shoddy job that our mainstream media outlets have done in reporting on various subjects. It's bad because people on both sides of the ideological spectrum are increasingly turning to sources that reaffirm their pre-existing biases.

  • Shaker Shaker on Feb 18, 2009

    geeber: "Yes, because as we all know, possible corruption in the nation’s legislative body is nothing to worry about, and should be ignored completely." No, it's just not news. :-)

  • Anonymous Anonymous on Feb 18, 2009

    "Really, are they fair and balanced? Have they reported that the Detroit automakers have no viability and need bankruptcy?” Yes, that is reporting. It’s the truth." No, that is not reporting. That is giving an opinion. Just because you agree with the opinion it is acceptable as reporting? Reporting is laying out the facts and letting the reader/viewer form their own opinion. As is "we report, you decide."

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