When Do Bloggers Break Through?
The blog Talk Left has two posts, I find interesting, and related. One talks about the need to support Howard Dean in the wake of some Democratic leaders turning against him, and the other is about an interview with Nancy Pelosi. Talk Left says,
But, as we saw in the case of the Downing Street Memo, bloggers can, at times, influence coverage to overcome this stranglehold on the MSM. The question is: where is that critical point at which a story that's on the blogs gets MSM coverage? Is it the simple number of blogs that are talking about a story? Are some bloggers listened to more than others? Are some stories more dangerous to print than others? I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts.
The House Democratic leader made striking comments about the mainstream media, even asserting that reporters had told her journalists couldn’t tell the Democrats’ story because they feared losing access.These two stories together demonstrate that it is easier for the MSM to report on alleged gaffes by Howard Dean, than on policy issues that the Democrats want to talk about.
“I’ve had reporters say to me, I have orthodontia, I have tuition, I have mortgage, I need access, I’m not writing your story,” Pelosi remarked.
But, as we saw in the case of the Downing Street Memo, bloggers can, at times, influence coverage to overcome this stranglehold on the MSM. The question is: where is that critical point at which a story that's on the blogs gets MSM coverage? Is it the simple number of blogs that are talking about a story? Are some bloggers listened to more than others? Are some stories more dangerous to print than others? I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts.
2 Comments:
This is one of the main reasons why so many democrats are criticizing Dean right now. He is providing ammunition to the right to talk about what Dean said instead of issues such as army recruitment, the Downing Memo, the war in Iraq etc. Whether or not you agree with what Dean is saying, and whether or not it is the criticism of him is fair, there is no doubt that he is a lightning rod of attention and is currently allowing Republicans to make him a distraction issue. If Democrats want to be successful, they need to stop whining about the fairness of the media and take it into account in their strategy, something Dean is currently failing to do (Pelosi as well). As to when the MSM starts paying attention to a story, well, it’s when the story sells to readers (I believe the terms are traction and legs), something the Downing Memo, as of yet, has failed to do.
I think the press is more likely to cover combative comments than analyze issues.
In "Is Anyone Responsible? How Television Frames Political Issues" Shanto Iyengar found that episodic news (like Dean's criticism) is far more likely to be covered than thematic news (like the ethics in enter the Iraq War).
Thematic news takes time to analyze, is costly to produce and often doesn't interest the public as much as actual events.
If the Democrats want look good, they should concentrate on creating positive episodes. The market for thematic news, especially in televsion where a lot of Americans get their news, is too small.
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