Did TV News Miss Point in Covering Stimulus Plan?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/23/arts/AP-AP-on-TV-Stimululating-Stimulus.html

There were plenty of familiar faces on-screen during TV coverage of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan, people like James Carville, Laura Ingraham, Karl Rove, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Joe Trippi and Dick Morris.

What it lacked, some critics suggest, were people with real expertise in what the $787 billion plan will mean for the economy and for communities and individuals. In short, it was treated like just another political battle.

Of the 681 people who appeared as guests on a dozen cable news and four network Sunday morning talk shows in the three weeks that ended last Sunday, only 41, or 6 percent, were economists, said the liberal media watchdog Media Matters for America.

That count alone indicates a lack of effort in tracking down what was most important about the story, said Erikka Knuti, the organization's spokeswoman.

''Hearing whether or not this package is going to work is more important than who has the snappiest quip,'' she said.

hell, even the commentators think they are experts, whatever the subject might be.

We got to hear a whole lot of people that don't know what they are talking about,
and of course the whole thing was treated as a political battle.....cause
although the President was elected on Change, the media itself continues doing
the same ol' same ol'.

That's why TV news sucks as much as it does.

The more you know ...



Thank you, Captain Obvious New York Times.