The news media abhors a vacuum and will make mistakes in rushed attempts to fill it. The problem is on both sides of the equation; readers and viewers demand answers to questions that can’t yet be answered, so writers and producers speculate.
The past 24 hours of news about U.S. presidential candidate John Edwards is a perfect example of this trend - frustrating for everybody. Media falsely reported that Edwards would halt his campaign because his wife has cancer.
Prior examples of this trend include the rush to print and report rumors, which later turned out to be false, about murders in stadiums and convention centers, in New Orleans post-Katrina, as well as the reports, which also turned out to be tragically wrong, about the number of people killed in the mine accident in Sago, W. Va.
When you hear that there is going to be a news conference the following day, but that details won’t be released until the time of the news conference, something unhealthy happens: People Want Answers. Well, that in itself is not unhealthy and dangerous so much as it is a function of our curiosity (good), our impatience (bad) and our inability to deal with the fact that sometimes we just can’t know everything (really bad).
Feeling that their thirst for knowledge and information must be immediately sated, some people then turn to the Internet and cable television. To meet this demand, the media then speculates, much of it guesswork and a lot of it just plain wrong.
Old media will later blame the mess on new media but it’s not a problem of the medium so much as it is the people involved - both consumers and providers.
Once you hear about the scheduling of a news conference on an important issue or about an important person – in this case, John Edwards – your best bet is to just turn off your television, or at least stay away from television news stations; because the odds are good that whatever is reported will be wrong. Actually avoiding television news is probably good advice all the time, but especially during these times.
Sure enough, while Googling yesterday I came across a report, quoting an unnamed source (that’s always a red flag), saying that Edwards was going to halt his election campaign in order to stand by his wife in the hour of need, as a doctor has found that she has cancer again. The much-hyped new political website, The Politico, reported at 11:06 a.m. that "John Edwards is suspending his campaign for President, and may drop out completely. . . ''
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Al Barger
"What a cold-hearted, selfish jerk,"
I would have thought that anyway - but perhaps I'm just too cynical about politicians. After all, helping the Other America is what Edwards is all about. Obviously, that's far more important than the personal sacrifice of not being able to properly be there for his wife.
On the other hand, even from my typical cynicism about do-gooding demagogues, in fairness you'd have to factor in his wife's wishes. Considering that she's his big strategist and political partner, would she really WANT him right there all the time instead of pursuing their mutual aggrandizement?
2 - Michael J. West
If I were a betting man, I'd bet that she insisted that he continue his campaign. Something about it actually makes me think that she told him "you can't leave the race" before he even had a chance to bring it up...and wouldn't back down. It was just something about her face in the video I saw.
That said....Meh. False report or no false report, I wasn't gonna vote for him anyway.
3 - Dave Nalle
How can you call Edwards names, he's so absolutely man-pretty. Makes me almost want to abandon Rick Perry...
Dave
4 - zingzing
[Edited]
oh yeah, and now john edwards is both a "cold-hearted, selfish jerk" and a "faggot." or did she say "fag?" i don't remember. either way, he's not going to be elected. i don't know why he's trying. it's impossible. he seems to be a professional candidate, as he seems to be doing nothing else.
5 - Paul Levinson
I think bloggers have to have even higher standards that mass media because, for better or worse, mass media increasingly rely upon blogs as news sources in this world. Politico-Edwards lesson: Blogs need even higher standards than mass media
6 - Ryan Johnson
I think this is a problem caused by "New Media" The "New Media" doesn't need sources. Blogs print speculation as fact all day. The "Old Media" can't be beat by the "New Media" so they report speculation as well. Is it "Old Media's" fault that their viewers/listeners/readers misinterpret what was reported?
7 - JustOneMan
How pathetic...John "Pretty Boy" Edwards will stoop to using his wifes cancer to help him get elected. I guess he saw his rival AL Egore getting all of the attention and couldnt stand it any longer.
JOM
PS Edwards is a faggot!
8 - Jet in Columbus
JOM-you're as heartless as you are pathetic
9 - Jet in Columbus
Michael, if they'd watched the press conference, they'd know she stood right there and INSISTED that he continue the campaign.
10 - BriMan
OOOO - JOM,
Tough guy talking about faggots and pretty boys.
Sounds like you are an expert to me! You must be a top...
11 - Jet in Columbus
Sound more like he NEEDS a top to me BriMan... Usually the ones using the word faggot are the ones deepest in the closet pathetically trying to convince everyone else they're not.
12 - Arch Conservative
Wow I already knew that Edwards was an ambulance chasing political hack but he's really sunk to a new low by using his wife's cancer to pander for votes. that kind of depravity is downright Clintonesque. I'm sure that his supporters couldn't be prouder.
13 - Scott Butki
well, I was pleased I got comments until I saw that it was more bickering than comments. Yikes.
I'm speechless.
14 - wileyman
My only issue is that they have young children and a mother that is most likely going to go through major cancer treatment and worse could die within 5 years (that is what the medical community is saying). How can anyone be president, take care of a very sick wife and raise children properly. I think the Edwards have the WRONG priorities. Family and children should always come first.
15 - Arch Conservative
I agree with you Wileyman...Edwards priorities are definitely WRONG.
If, as you say, the prognosis for Elizabeth Edwards is that there is a good chance she may be dead in five years, one would think that Edwards, if he truly loves her, would rather spend as much time with her as possible rather than spend his time running for president.
It's said so often that we should not pass judgment on the personal lives of politicians. However I believe that what a person does in private is more reflective of their character than the image they work so hard to show us in public. And when an individual asks us for their vote they had better be prepared for us to examine all aspects of their character.
A man whose professional ambitions outweigh his concern for and desire to be with his wife while she is suffering from cancer will not receive my vote.
16 - Clavos
Arch,
A man whose professional ambitions outweigh his concern for and desire to be with his wife while she is suffering from cancer will not receive my vote.
Would that mean that you wouldn't support Gingrich if he were to run?
17 - JustOneMan
Due to all the media attention Edwards recieved from his wifes cancer, other politicians have announced the following medical issues to try and garner the sympathy vote
1. Hillary Clinton - annouced she is suffering from a rare form of "hound dog" face disease
2. Barnet Franks - announced that he is suffering form chroic bleeding hemmaroids and an incurable oral fixation.
3. Obama - he is suffering from Vitiligo and by the time the primaries come around he will be whiter than Michael Jackson
4. Chuck Schumer - Incurable bad hair implants
5. Al Franken - announced to no onse surprise that he has an IQ of 32 caused by no one listening to his radio show
6. John Kerry - Admits that he has alzheimer's . He now blames this on his "I voted for it before I voted against it" fiasco
7. Al Gore - Annouced that his ass is growing die to global warming. He projects that by the year 2011 his ass will be the size of Montana!
JOM
18 - Christopher Rose
bah!
19 - Scott Butki
You revived a two year old piece to say "bah"
btw i write these days over at newsvine
20 - roger nowosielski
Hey, Scott Butki,
Just read your comment. Can you tell me how it works? Just visited their site and it sounds interesting.
Roger
PS: My email is listed on the Navigation Bar (seem my URL and website)
21 - Scott Butki
lets see if i can post a link Scott Butki on Newsvine.
22 - Christopher Rose
Hi Scott, i just needed to bring the article up in the comments editing system and would have deleted it if you hadn't immortalised it by responding so promptly!
I add articles to Newsvine like I do at Digg, but wouldn't really think of writing there as a first choice. How's that working out for you?
23 - Scott Butki
It works great. I get more interviews (latest ones ranging from interviews with the director of a documentary about kinky friedman here and author lawrence block)
from my working at this site than at b.c. other places.
I also like making money through newsvine, something i couldnt do at b.c.
24 - Silas Kain
You know, I was just thinking about John Edwards today. Are we that unforgiving of a nation? This is a brilliant man who has the potential to contribute a lot of positive feedback to our great American debates of the day. I remember years ago my great granny refusing to watch anything with Ingrid Bergman because she had a baby with Roberto Rosellini out of wedlock. It's silly. What she did in her private life should have had no reflection on the scope of her work as an actress. And, as a fringe benefit, she gave the world beautiful Isabella without whom Blue Velvet never could have been made.
25 - pablo
Silas,
A man who was fucking another woman while his wife was dying of cancer? Surely you jest. John Edwards is Bilderberg scum, and his philandering while his wife had terminal breast cancer only confirms this.