It’s impossible to objectively cover the election season, but I honestly think the press could be doing a much better job. Both candidates have been viciously attacked by the media. Some of Trump’s quotes have been unfairly blown out of proportion, while Clinton has been plagued by conspiracy theories about Benghazi and her private email server.
In my opinion, the media’s coverage of the election is the single most important factor as to who gets elected in November. News organizations are arbiters of knowledge; they control what the public sees, when they see it, and how they see it. Without these organizations providing information about the candidates, people would basically be forced to vote based on party allegiance
The mass majority of voters derive their information from news sources who fail to remain bias. Whether it’s in the header of the article or in the statistics used, subtle but persuasive opinions can be found all across the media. For example, a conservative news network might not publish an article on Trump’s failed business ventures, while a liberal news network would publish an entire series on the subject. These choices could swing a voter in either direction.
Instead of reporting controversies intended for generating clicks, major news outlets should focus on legitimate and informative news. Candidates should get the chance to discuss the future, not the past. Too often are nightly news headlines dominated by jaded discussions about email servers and taxes, controversies that unfortunately have been the deciding factors for many voters. Worst of all, this commotion has often shoved aside topics that actually matter, such as: global warming, the minimum wage, and the Syrian civil war.
With no dramatic change in site, we have to be smart about the situation. Personally, I buffer the effects of the biased media by trying to listen to everyone. Following only conservative or only liberal news channels is not the smart way to go, even if you already know who you’re voting for. We have to keep our minds open and we have to recognize all perspectives - not just the ones we agree with.
Published on my blog for Channel One Team OneVote series: https://www.channelone.com/blog_post/kai-sherwin-the-single-most-important-factor-for-who-gets-elected-president/