Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net
Media: Where This Appetite for Scandals Comes From Do our political figures today have more scandals than their predecessors or has the media coverage changed over time? ‘Do our political servants today have more scandals than their predecessors, or is it that today’s news media are more probing, and scandals and sexual indiscretions are more likely to get social media attention?’
BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The PalladiumTimes. He served as a governor of the Rotary Club District 7150 (Central New York) from July 2001 to June 2002. 34
A
s we head toward the presidential election finish line in November, the issue of how the news media report on campaign issues continues to dominate center stage. Critics say the media are obsessed with fringe issues, which, in some cases, result in the destruction of candidates for high public office. They point to Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, and Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan. Franken, a former stand-up comedian who was on an upward trajectory in the Democratic Party, resigned in 2017 after he was accused of sexual harassment. Conyers was the longest serving member of Congress when he retired — also because of sexual harassment allegations in 2016. When it comes to these allegations, especially among presidential candidates, some wonder what does this have to do with running the country. The question has much to do with the way the media report these missteps. The role of journalism and journalists has gone through many twists and turns when it comes to the reporting of presidential politics. Periodically, this band of imperfect human beings is called upon to cover every four years what is affectionately known as the greatest show on earth – the presidential campaign. The presidential candidates are mere mortals, who in some instances have skeletons jangling in their closets. To be successful, these candidates must morph into near superhumans and combine seemingly contradictory qualities — worldliness and an America-first principle, toughness and empathy, skepticism but not cynicism, humanity and self-confidence and enthusiasm and restraint. Their success in achieving these dichotomous objectives are mirrored and chronicled incessantly, so it is easy to praise or blame us in the media for their success or failure.
The road to the White House is lined with potholes, some much deeper than others. Do our political servants today have more scandals than their predecessors, or is it that today’s news media are more probing, and scandals and sexual indiscretions are more likely to get social media attention? Both major candidates this year have had to fend off accusations from women who claim that they sexually harassed them, an issue that presumably speaks to a candidate’s character, especially in the age of #MeToo. President Donald Trump has been accused by at least 16 women of sexual wrongdoing, all allegations he has vehemently denied. As if to put an exclamation point on these accusations, along came the now infamous audio of the Access Hollywood tape where Trump said his fame allowed him to grab women in their private parts. This blockbuster disclosure about a month before the 2016 election was predicted to spell disaster for his presidential run. So much for the so-called pundits. Trump beat Hillary Clinton. Last year, a group of women came forward and accused Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of being too touchy-feely, to the point of making them uncomfortable. One of them has now gone further, accusing Biden of sticking his hand up her dress and penetrating her. Biden has emphatically denied the accusation, saying “It never happened. Period.” It’s interesting how complex these types of allegations are. For one thing, the public seems to be selective on whom they will forgive and those they will not. Why did a sex scandal do in Gary Hart in 1988, yet Bill Clinton was able to dodge the tawdry affair with Monica Lewinsky and come out of even an impeachment process with his career – if not his reputation – pretty much intact? In addition, what might be perceived as scandalous in one century is business as
My Turn
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020
