Entertainment and exaggeration are defining characteristics of much of American news media coverage, especially television.
Americans like and expect news to be packaged as entertainment and much of the coverage and commentary we get reflects this. Likewise, those who tend to exaggerate or engage in extreme points of view are often the ones who get noticed by the TV producers. Then there are the so-called experts, talking heads who are repeatedly called upon even though they often spout misinformation.
A series of recent events and controversies has provided us a high-definition view of these TV tendencies.
Let's begin with Brian Williams, suspended from his job as NBC News anchor for claiming he was on a helicopter that came under fire while he covered the invasion of Iraq in 2003 -- a story he told, and embellished, several times over the years. But after a recent recounting of his tall tale, a crew member of a helicopter that was struck challenged -- on social media -- Williams' version of events. (Apparently Williams was on a helicopter some distance behind, and it did not take enemy fire.) Williams subsequently apologized for his exaggerations, but as questions were raised about other stories told by Williams, NBC executives imposed a six-month suspension, and it is unlikely he will return to his anchor role.
Despite the shifting media landscape and the blending of entertainment and news, a major network news anchor has represented "old journalism" or "legacy journalism." And that traditional form of journalism is built on a foundation of credibility.
Credibility and likeability are not the same. Williams is personable, likeable and entertaining as a guest on the late-night talk circuit. He became a celebrity, but his credibility as a news journalist has tanked. Cronkite, Murrow, Huntley, Brokaw, and Jennings, among others, were news journalists who understood where the line should be drawn.
Admittedly, in recent times that line has been more difficult to draw. That takes us to Jon Stewart, who has announced he will give up his Comedy Channel cable Daily Show later this year. The satirical Stewart is good at what he does, but he has made clear he sees himself as an entertainer, though at times he has been more of a journalist than some who purport to be journalists. But the result has been a further blurring of the distinction between entertainment and real news.
And real news is further undermined by the obsession with celebrities and reliance on "experts," particularly on cable news channels. Too often these so-called experts are simply fringe commentators. We saw this in the recent claims about "no-go zones," by Steven Emerson, touted as a terrorism expert by Fox News.
Emerson, who should have been long since discredited because of previous misinformed statements, said in some European cities there are zones where national governments "don't exercise any sovereignty," and as an example, he cited Birmingham, Britain's second-largest city, which he said was "totally Muslim, where non-Muslims just simply don't go in." He was quickly rebuked by many who knew the utter inaccuracy of his assertion, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, who called Emerson "clearly a complete idiot."
In the face of this outpouring of ridicule, Emerson did apologize, as did Fox News and CNN, where some of Emerson's comments had echoed.
Another recent example on CNN involved Tara Setmayer, described by CNN as "political contributor." She took Rudy Giuliani's anti-Obama outburst even further than the ex-mayor, spewing comments about communists and lack of patriotism, right out of the Joe McCarthy playbook.
In providing fringe fulminators like Setmayer a platform, CNN is giving them a measure of undeserved credibility.
And we come full circle back to the Williams flap, where some see similarities with Fox's Bill O'Reilly, criticized for allegedly overstating his experience in covering combat zones earlier in his career -- which he vigorously denies. The difference with Williams is that O'Reilly is not a news anchor but an opinionated commentator and entertainer.
It would be nice to think lessons would be learned from the experience of Williams' embarrassing embellishments and the exaggerated pandering too common on cable news. However, considering the rapidly changing media environment, that may be too much to hope for.
Meanwhile, let's let celebrities and entertainers comment on celebrities and be entertaining. And let's let journalists report the news.
Hoyt Purvis is a journalism and international relations professor. Email him at [email protected].
Commentary on 02/25/2015