Clinton Scandal Essay Research Paper The Media

Clinton Scandal Essay, Research Paper

The Media and Its Role in the Clinton-Lewinsky ScandalWhen the Framers of the Constitution specified freedom of the press, they envisioned that this would nurture and guide the development of a thriving, healthy democracy. They envisioned a democracy that centers on a core set of beliefs: liberty, equality, self-government, individualism, diversity, and unity. These beliefs are part of today s political culture. Americans have always cherished, but at the same time they have deplored the excess of the media in the exercise of that freedom.During the recent Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, the press has both contributed to the health of our democracy and it has also been detrimental to our democracy and its institutions. However, the press has been far more detrimental to our democracy than it has been helpful in light of this scandal. People learn more from television coverage of an event than they learn from any other source. However, it takes a great deal of information for the average person to absorb a specific issue. People are presented with too much information from numerous media outlets. They tend not to grab the story until the event continues to make the news for an extended period of time. People make more informed decisions about an issue when they are presented to them regularly. The news challenges people to think critically and to form opinions based on their understanding of an issue. People can actively select and personalize information they get from the news. Individuals are presented with many views so they can make their own judgments. People construct meaning from the news. Information people gain from the news can be incorporated into their everyday lives. They gain a personal frame of reference that allows them to make informed decisions about issues. Most important of all, the news allows individuals to keep in contact with society, to find their own places in it, and to be fully aware of the world around them. If people ignore what they hear and see on TV about political figures, people will become isolated and unable to form public opinion. The news opens whole new venues of information and ways of thinking so people can get involved in the political process. News still matters because it informs us and keeps us abreast of issues affecting our lives and our country. The press has covered the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal with great detail and effort. There isn t a day on TV when one does not hear any new information regarding the scandal. The press is giving what the people want. Our country thrives on sensationalism. Americans like feeding frenzies. They thrive on the news. People get pleasure watching the news. It is an outlet for entertainment. Americans love to follow interesting drama behind big stories. Clinton s taped grand jury testimony was a hit for the media. Over 22.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the grand jury testimony. The public has been given much information about the Clinton-Lewinsky matter. This overload of information keeps people informed of the actions of the president. The public has every right to know what kind of person is running the country. The United States is a democratic society. Its citizens elected Bill Clinton. They have the capacity through public opinion to impeach him. If the President of the United States has abused power granted to him by the Constitution, the public has a right to know and the press has De Benedicts 3 the duty to report it to them. The release of the Starr report and Clinton s taped grand jury testimony gives the American people the opportunity to judge for themselves as to whether the president has committed impeachable offenses. This allows them to draw reasonable conclusions about the actions of the president. The American press thrives on sensationalism. There is never a dull day with the press. Once they find a story, they can never let go of it especially if it involves a politician or famous actor or actress. The press loses its focus on the important issues that can affect our lives, not in the short term but long term. The press has been focusing on the Clinton scandal too much. The press has failed to inform the public about the financial crisis in China, the possible collapse of Russia, and about own economy. The American public only gets what the press gives it. The media is drowning the public with a flood of trivial and meaningless stories. The media has damaged public dialogue by pushing too far into the private lives of elected officials. They have no business intruding into people s private lives. The press has undermined the American presidency. The Clinton crisis wouldn t have happened in the way it did but for the intrusive technologies of the multi-media revolution. There is no escape from prying cameras, tape recordings, video links, the internet, and e-mail, which has unleashed a subculture of intimate communication unknown a decade ago. This intrusion would not be occurring if the president were an ordinary citizen. With a few exceptions, the media has done everything possible to broadcast every last ounce of scandal out of Starr investigation of Clinton. The press will dig up all accusations about someone s past, whether the reports are just or unjust. De Benedicts 4 The media has been on a Clinton witch-hunt since day one. The media has unlimited power to print anything it desires. We live in a world of no privacy. It is a disgrace that once-r