Misleading the Public

I believe that every person who is in a position of delivering news, analysis, & opinion should be subject to a public opinion poll similar to what our President faces. It may be our only chance to keep political cable news pundits “fair & balanced.” However, as it stands when commentators are allowed to express their extreme right or left wing ideals it creates more division and ignorance in the public discourse on race, class, cultural awareness.

For example the video at the bottom of this post of a Hannity & Colmes segment shows Hannity raging against Barack once again. This time because his church, Trinity United Church of Christ, placed him on the cover of their magazine in 2006 along with pictures of Rev. Wright & Minister Farrakahn. According to Hannity and his “conservative cohorts” this is more proof that Obama shares all of their radical beliefs like the Black Values System and the Million Man March.

Now here is the crux of the discussion. If you were to talk to everyday people, black & white, male & female, the RgularJoe, and ask them how they felt about to the overall mission of the Black Value System & the Million Man March. I’m sure 8 out of 10 would say that it was intended to be a positive event that would have, or had, a net positive impact on the rest of the country. Now that doesn’t mean that those same agreeable individuals have to agree with the Wright or Farrakahn, which is perfectly acceptable. You don’t to agree or understand everybody to respect their opinions and validate them as important.

That should be the ultimate goal of anyone who works in the news industry. I think Hannity and O’Reilly are forgetting that they are entrusted with bringing understanding to the country.

Since they can’t do it, I guess RgularJoe has to step up to the plate. My challenge to anyone is to prove to me how either the Black Value System or the Million Man March did not have a net positive gain.

video source posted with vodpod