Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism & American

Politics-Larry J. Sabato

Becky Canovan

Ryan Hoover

Lindsey Boyett

Lyndsay Leggott

Overview

History of JournalismLapdog, Watchdog, Junkyard Dog

Factors causing attacksWatergateMob Psychology

ConsequencesPress, Candidate, Voters, Political System

Remedies Discussion and Conclusions

“Feeding Frenzy”

“…a feeding frenzy is defined as the press coverage attending any political event or circumstance where a critical mass of journalists leap to cover the same embarrassing or scandalous subject and pursue it intensely, often excessively, and sometimes uncontrollably.” ~Sabato, p. 6

History of Journalism

Began around 1690

Party papers

Penny press

Yellow journalism and muckraking

World War I

Lapdog Journalism

Rooseveltian rule of thumb

Supported and protected politicians

JFK and Camelot

THE END OF IT ALL

Watchdog Journalism

Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick

Private life influencing politics

Everything is fair game

Junkyard Dog Journalism

Women in journalism

Television overtaking newspapers

Extensive research discarded

Factors in Attack Prominence

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan

Slow news periods“If you are going to fuck up, don’t fuck

up in the middle of August when there is nothing else to write about.” ~Steve Roberts, 1989, U.S. News & World Report

More Factors

Women & feminism in the media

Search to validate the subtext

Watergate

Watergate

Most profound impact of any modern event on how the journalism world changed

Guilt about underplaying political disasters

Character issues

Mob Psychology

“I’ve been in that group psychology; I know what it’s like. You think you’re on to something, you’ve got somebody on the run. How dare they not come clean? How dare they not tell the full story? What are they trying to hide? Why are they hiding it? And you become a crusader for the truth. Goddammit, you’re going to get the truth!”

~CNN’s Frank Sesno

Consequences of Attack Journalism

Press Consequences

Candidate Consequences

Voter Consequences

Consequences for the Political System

Press Consequences

Declining standards LCD journalism Increase in competition Invasion of privacy areas Strengthening of pack journalism Reduce access to elected officials Growing hostility toward the press

Candidate Consequences

Damaged by controversies Can end political careers “People were always waiting for the other

shoe to drop with Barry, and it always did; then people would say, ‘now the mayor’s finished’—but they ignored the fact that he was a centipede who had more shoes left to drop than Imelda Marcos.”

~Tom Sherwood, journalist, speaking of Mayor Marion Barry

Voter Consequences

Less news watching

Encouragement of cynicism

Candidates eliminated before the electorate speaks

“Sentence first—verdict afterwards.”~Queen of Hearts – Alice in Wonderland

Consequences for the Political System

Increased openness and accountability

Candidates not focusing on issues

Many viable candidates steer clear of the system

Remedies

Independently verify news stories by network

Do not raise dead-and-buried tales from the crypt

Go after the evildoers when false rumors come to the surface

Internal checks and balances Changing attitudes of journalists “The most rational, logical solution for

candidates is to avoid the sins and circumstances that spawn frenzies.” p. 167

Voter Contribution

If public chooses not to listen

Choice of outlet for information

Decreasing voter cynicism

Quotes

On Clinton saying he’s capable of commanding the U.S. military because he’s headed the Arkansas National Guard: “Isn’t that like saying you can fly the space shuttle because you’ve seen every episode of Star Trek?”

~Jay Leno, August 31, 1992

Quotes

Top Ten Reasons Clinton Is Losing His Lead: No. 2 – “More and more people like the idea of a tiny, insane millionaire running things.”

~ David Letterman, October 29, 1992 Said Letterman: “In, out, in, out – isn’t

that what got him in trouble in the first place?” - said in reference to Gary Hart

Omissions

Internet

Updated examples

Discussion

Take Home Lesson

“If we tell people there’s absolutely nothing private left to them, then we will tend to attract to public office only those most brazen, least sensitive personalities. Is that what we want to do?” ~New York Times columnist

Anthony Lewis