PressEthic

News channels are known to take the broken record-approach to intriguing footage. If a shot works, it is shown until it is permanently ingrained in the memories of the TV-watching public and another story takes over with its own, respectively broken record. The most graphic example of the relentless repetition of footage perhaps occurred shortly after September 11. Not surprisingly, many began to eventually complain about having to watch the towers crumple every time they turned on the evening news.

I most recently grew annoyed at the exhaustive use of a single ten-second clip after watching coverage of Bill Clinton’s Fox News interview. Because I did not happen to catch the original airing of the interview, my only clear recollection of the taping is a brief segment I have seen on various news channels and could recite from memory by now:

“And you've got that little smirk on your face and you think you're so clever. But I had responsibility for trying to protect this country. I tried and I failed to get bin Laden. I regret it. But I did try. And I did everything I thought I responsibly could.”

When a colossal public figure like Clinton blows his fuse, the public is bound to step closer and watch. Seeing Clinton shake his finger is a thrilling sight. What Clinton said in the rest of the interview ultimately should not matter to us—or at least so the news media assumes. Why show other quotes of the interview when we have two delicious news items--Clinton snapping at Wallace and Clinton mentioning Bin Laden—in the same short segment?

One could, of course, look up the transcript of the interview and see a more complete picture. The reality is, however, that few will. The repeated quote may illustrate the essence of the event in its own right, but it does little in explaining what, exactly, was discussed.

One of the most crucial responsibilities of a journalist is educating the public. In our work we should aim to provide as fair and complete a picture as possible of what is happening in the world. Meanwhile, perhaps the most important aspect of a good educator is taking one’s audience seriously. We hope for an ideal situation in which something we say will spark the listener’s interest and consequently help them emerge as wiser than we ever hoped to be.

Sadly, this does not seem to be the agenda of most news programs. And, as a result, our observation will remain passive. We will turn to the television, turn again when we hear something familiar, and eventually change the channel to something less exhausting.

(Unfortunately the Fox News web page does not allow me to send a link to the transcript. The whole interview can be found, however, at Foxnews.com)