I'm fascinated this election cycle by the media's use of beating to death a news story like a dirty carpet.
Much like it's cousin the sound bite, the online media "breaks" certain news reports with the full intention of eliciting continued emotional responses from readers over a period of several days. Rather than informing readers, by stretching a story's legs for far longer than necessary, the media self-designates a story with an importance not justifiably due via a repeated onslaught of run, run, run the story.
The Obama PA Bitter Remark story is the latest report to play 24/7, rerun with refurbished headlines that bait readers to click on to what is basically a retread of the same story.
Newseum--images of daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form--puts perspective back into play, capturing how newspapers run media-frenzied stories for the local readership.
How did the the No You Didn't, Obama story run in PA print?
As noted by USA Today:
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Stripped across the top of the front page is the headline "Furor over Obama quotes." Story here.
• Sunday Patriot-News (Harrisburg): There's no headline about the controversy on the front page -- just a small "refer" to a story inside. The line reads " 'Bitter' voters: Obama explains his comments."
• The Morning Call (Allentown): At the top of front page is the headline "Obama stands firm on 'small towns' talk." Story here. (Also today, the Morning Call's editorial board endorsed Obama.)
• The Sunday Times (Scranton): In large type at the center of the top of the page -- "Obama choking on 'bitter' pill."
• The Philadelphia Inquirer: Half-way down the right side of the page is a story headlined "Rivals rip Obama's 'bitter' Pa. depiction."
But what about the locals?
How did Pennsylvanians react to Obama's comments?
"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Audio here.
Audio here.
What were the thoughts of those who will vote in the upcoming primary?
Let's take a listen over at the forums.
(The first comment and the last comment of each forum--written by an identified Pennsylvanian----were selected for inclusion on this day 4/13/2008).
Comment #6:
"Look at all the people locally who are bitter right now over the by-pass."
--Agatha, Poconos Porter Township
Comment #76:
"Yea ya know I was sitting last night polishing my nails instead of my shotgun, thinking about things like how I was going to wear my hair to Mass today. I started thinking about what Obama said and I said to myself how wrong is the guy? All you Dear Friends and Neighbors who posted in that very "BITTER", to say the least forum, last week or so "SICK AND TIRED OF THE TRASH MOVING IN" I think Obama read it, and got some insight into how we feel. We did'nt say things to each other that much different then what hes saying about us. I'm still voting OBAMA!! Don't change a thing."
--Agatha, Poconos Porter Township
Comment #1:
"So Hillary lies about being shot at, but Obama tells the truth about rednecks.... why does Obama need to apologize??? We need DRASTIC change at the top, not another 4 years of lying Clintons with no morals."
--Dee B., Alburtis, PA.
Comment #41:
"No one disputes that small towns in PA and elsewhere have seen hard times. Sen. Obama's demeaning remarks were made at a private fundraiser and were not intended to be made public. Looks like Sen. Obama was busted just being himself: a smug, arrogant Ivy Leaguer who looks down his nose at the rest of us. It ain't pretty, is it?"
--DCT, Narberth, PA
My initial thoughts?
Judging by the small number of comments posted by identified Pennsylvanians forsuch an "important story" that broke April 11, 2008--
I'd say those in PA have bigger concerns on their minds...like how to put food on the table.
