The national debt “crisis,” as it’s being called, is about as interesting a case study on the media’s activities in the electronic society as is any newsworthy event. This post may challenge the way most of us define “newsworthy,” but I use the word here simply for lack of a better one and for the sake of clarity.
One of the most interesting phenomena surrounding the debt debates is the sheer scale they encompass. And, more than that, that this scale is relatively incomprehensible to a good chunk of Americans – especially those of us in our twenties who think of debt in terms of our parents’ credit cards and college loans. Even then, many twentysomethings are far removed from the process of paying off debt (it’s often covered by someone else or there are many ways to defer payment). Add to this misunderstanding of debt in general a more specific lack of knowledge about the processes that led to the position the United States is in with its own debt.
Although I lack solid evidence, I would also submit that a number of citizens above the twentysomething age limit also find themselves in a place of misunderstanding about the scale and circumstances surrounding the debt debates, including those people who have most vigorously acted to influence their representatives.
Since most of us do not watch C-SPAN, what we do understand about the debt debates is that members of Congress are in a battle that sits strongly along partisan lines. This reality is consistent with what we have known about the government since just before, and certainly after, Barack Obama took office. And, while Tea Party members can certainly be blamed for some of the house fractures, we shouldn’t forget a recent democrat whose “Satan Sandwich” rhetoric has inspired more than a few sarcastic chuckles and some real grumbling.
With respect to the media, this all points to the reality that American media consumers see, hear, and understand only what is available to them and, of that, only what they care to comprehend. Why else would the NPR blog “It’s All Politics” record and publish a rap by Carl Kasell? At some stage, producers realized not only that the sheer scale of these debates, but the mere mention of them as well, was becoming enough for most listeners to flip the dial.
I admit to driving home from work, All Things Considered on the air, asking myself, “What was I just listening to again?” These stories get confusing and they, after so many tries, become somewhat irrelevant. So, why does the media continue to move these stories to the front of the news cycle? Is it because so many people are genuinely interested, or are we all just waiting for the next Satan Sandwich?
Or, maybe there’s something so integral to our humanity, to our current situation in the world, to look for the next person, republican or democrat, to blame.
I’m curious about why you still listen to, read, or watch news about important matters that tie politics in with American livelihood. I’m curious about when you shut it all off. I’m curious about who you blame, who you support, and who you just love to laugh at. What’s your Satan Sandwich moment throughout these debates and others?
Billy W Collins 