Attention, please, ladies and gentlemen of old mainstream media. America has sent you a resounding message in this year’s election. Here’s a list of things you’ll need to keep in mind for future elections, if you’d ever like to see “your candidate” win again:
1. You can’t force Americans’ hands on what to do, how to think, or especially how to vote. We’re not going to take orders from your elitist playbook. Stop trying to control the news, and start reporting it. Treat our majority opinions with respect, and we might listen to your side of the story.
2. Stop talking down to us. We’re not half as stupid as you think we are. In fact, we’re smarter than many of you, which is why you all look so surprised and baffled at John Kerry’s defeat. We knew he wasn’t the man for the job. You refused to listen. Pay more attention to average America, and you’ll have better luck achieving your goals in four years.
3. People know when you’re keeping a double standard, so make an effort to measure all candidates with the same yardstick. You kicked up an endless dust storm over Bush’s National Guard records but remained disinterested and silent on the inconsistencies of John Kerry’s Vietnam stories and the validated criticisms from Vietnam veterans and POWs. That got noticed by a lot of voters. Americans despise unfairness, so play by the rules and you’ll do better.
4. In view of the sweeping defeat of the gay marriage proposals on the ballots of eleven states, wake up to the fact that the vast majority of Americans don’t want to legitimize gay marriage in the United States. Get over it and move on to a less radical issue that might be more successful in reaching Mr. & Mrs. America.
5. Keep in mind that all this talk about “reaching across the aisle” applies to Democrats, too. In fact, it applies to them especially since they lost. It wouldn’t hurt you to try to view things through a Republican looking glass once in a while.
6. The blogosphere is here to stay. Deal with it. It’s not the evil “blog machine” that Dan Rather whined about during his election night coverage. It’s a valid, alternative news and opinion source for millions of Americans, and it is the new media. It wouldn’t exist if the demand for it was not there. You can’t beat it, so maybe think about joining, or at least learning from, the blogs. Pay extra heed to the conservative blogs and you’ll have better insight into the thinking of the 52% of Americans who elected President Bush to a second term.
7. Recognize that we are at war, that the majority of Americans understand we are at war, and also that we must win it. Consider throwing a positive story on the progress of the war into your coverage once in a while, instead of a steady diet of casualty counts and “failures.” Our military families deserve at least that much recognition for their sacrifices.
8. Review the media coverage of World War II for some helpful hints on supporting the Commander-in-Chief of our nation in a time of war. Observe how celebrities of that era campaigned for war bonds, entertained the troops, and sometimes even joined the service (e.g., actor Jimmy Stewart, baseball legend Ted Williams).
9. On the subject of show biz, consider a new roster of celebrity mouthpieces. To be specific, Michael Moore and Co. should probably take a seat well out of the media spotlight for a while.
10. Most importantly, support our troops. They are in harm’s way, fighting and dying to protect all of us, Old Media included. Show them the honor and respect they’ve earned with their bravery and their blood. Do that and you’ll certainly get more of my attention.
