News? Paper

Flowers at Ground Zero - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Scott Sturman
fliesinyoureyes.com
 
By its very name a newspaper delivers news to its readers.  This morning the Fresno Bee, one of the West Coast’s chapters of Pravda, deemed the Vice Presidential Debates hardly newsworthy.  The front page was plastered with old news about the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and color pictures of the Fresno Fair, but there was no clue that tonight two men with very different agendas would be debating in hopes of becoming the nation’s second highest elected official.

If one were not a political junky or simply inattentive to these matters, how deep would someone have to dig to find reference to the debate?  Surely by page two or three, a casual reader would discover something relating to the event.  Alas, it was not until page seven where a 2x2 inch box located in the bottom right corner of the page alerted the readers about the nationally televised debate.

Journalism is not so much about news nowadays, but propaganda.  I imagine if the editors of the Bee thought bumbling Joe would take Paul Ryan to the woodshed tonight, the debate time would be displayed front and center on page one.  Yet they know as well as any the patented Biden smirk and bullying behavior will be in full force, so it is best to pretend the debate never happened. 

Aftermath of the Great Vice Presidential Debates

“Riches and fame make a gentleman not.”  - W.R. Priskna

The morning after the great debate Pravda's front page was adorned by a color photo of the event.  The editors, hoping none of their readers had seen the debate, lavished praise on battling Joe Biden.  He was tough and in command of the fact; just the type of man who should help lead the country.

Ask any expert in the field of body language, and they will testify that rolling eyes and laughing at another’s seriously intended comments shows utter contempt and disdain.  Joe Biden’s Cheshire Cat smirk and bullying tactics at the Vice Presidential debates were reported by the main stream media as a demonstration of aggressiveness, but most viewers with any sense of manners preferred the terms arrogance and rudeness.

The morning after the debate I was working with a group of women who are not usually politically oriented but nonetheless watched the contest between Representative Ryan and Vice President Biden.  To a person they were appalled by the Vice President’s boorish and immature behavior.  “He made a fool of himself,” one noted.  “It was Paul Ryan who kept his poise and acted like a gentleman.”

The weekend talk show experts seemed to have missed the point, as well.  The central issue was not controversial moderator Martha Raddatz or the flurry of facts flying back and forth between the two candidates.  The debate was defined by Biden's outlandish behavior and taunting demeanor reminiscent of the National Football League of old.    

Despite the spin, Joe Biden did not help his party’s cause.  Most of those who watched the debate saw a soon-to-be septuagenarian stuffed in an expensive suit, who conducted himself like a street fighter rather than a statesman.

   Tibet - photo by JoAnn Sturman