As of the time I am writing my column it is unclear who will be our next president. Therefore, I will not address the candidates directly. Instead, I will comment on how the media has covered this election. The media had an excuse in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic; they have no excuse this time.
The news media is supposed to report the news without any bias. However, through the slanting of the stories and what has been and what has not been reported, the media has failed their role. Right-wing media such as Fox News and left-wing media such as MSNBC, and to a lesser extent CNN, are guilty of this. It has gotten worse the closer we have gotten to election day. I think that this is due to the media outlets being like politicians. They are reporting what their viewers want to hear. Journalism has gone from being a profession to being a business. The media has taken statements out of context or failed to fact check statements made by the candidates.
Another fallacy of the reporting is the obsession with polls. Polling data can be useful as it relates to demographics of the voters including race, gender, and sex. One of the key factors is the extreme gap between men and women as to their favorite candidate. However, there is so much obsession with each state, where the numbers are a tie within the margin of error. As we found out in the 2016 presidential election and the 2022 Congressional election, polls can be severely wrong.
Also, there has been a “gotcha” mentality of using the opponent’s comments, even out of context, against them, which has been amplified by the media. It has even spread to the candidates’ surrogates. I think one of the most unexpected reactions was to the comedian’s comments at Trump’s MSG rally about Puerto Rico being a garbage dump. With all the outrageous and disgusting things that Trump has said, it was a joke by a comedian that got people riled up. I think the Trump people are as shocked as I am that this was the comment that gained traction. It is common for comedians to make fun of people. It is not common for a president or a candidate for president to also engage in such conduct.
One exception to this rule of considering a candidate’s statements is when the comments relate to conduct. That is why Trump’s comments denying the 2020 election results and his actions to overturn it, including how he acted on January 6, are important facts. Likewise, his calling those who were convicted for their conduct in storming the Capitol “political prisoners” and promising to pardon them is consequential. Similarly, Trump’s comments about the enemy within and his plans of going against them and being a dictator on day one are significant facts to consider. That being said, using labels as both Trump and Harris have done in calling their opponent “fascist” is unhelpful.
Sometimes there is so much emphasis on the personal attack and possible threat, the underlying policy is lost. For example, Trump’s comments about Liz Chaney having nine guns drawn at her face was taken by many as being a threat. The underlying policy that Trump was espousing was that we should not put American soldiers in harm’s way. It is an isolationist policy. That was not addressed by the media.
Spending so much time talking about the polling data and the ridiculous statements does not make the voters any more informed of the issues. What has been lacking in most instances is discussion of the candidates’ positions on the issues and what could be positive or negative effects of their positions on the economy, foreign relations, etc.
There has also been little comparison between the Trump and the Biden administrations, including addressing the Covid response and pandemic’s effect on prices and the economy in general. As they say relating to mutual funds and other investments: Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Thus, even if you liked Trump’s first term, there is no guarantee that you will like the next term. There are new policies proposed, and Trump is more obsessed with taking revenge. Even if you are happy with the Biden administration, how involved was the vice president. What will she do differently?
The bottom line is making a choice for president is a monumental decision that should be made with as much information as possible. The media, which has the best ability to provide it, has failed its mission.
There is still a chance for the media to redeem itself. It is expected that if Trump loses, he will claim that the election was rigged. If Harris loses, there is less of a chance that the results will be challenged. The media needs to separate allegations made in public and those made in court. This was not done very well in some media outlets in 2020 which gave attention to Trump and his supporters’ allegations that were not raised in court although given chance to do so.
The more the public knows, the better off the country will be moving forward.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.