The People News, a free newspaper serving Cleveland Tennessee (TN) and Bradley County Tennessee (Tn).





Of Bradley County Tn.

SEPTEMBER  2008

                            The People News, a free newspaper serving Cleveland and Bradley County Tn.

Jennifer's Corner

HOME

BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE

EDITORIALS

LETTERS

CONTACT US

Obamania

by Jennifer Martin

For eight years of the Bush administration, with four of those Bush years of me being in the liberal town of Tallahassee, Florida - I've had to put up with countless of my liberal-leaning, sometimes even independent friends recounting to me the horror of Fox News' obvious conservative slant and what a terrible person Bill O'Reilly was. Despite the fact that every single other news network has remained almost unabashedly liberal, or at the very least anti-Bush, my dear Democratic friends still felt slighted at the idea of a news network that might potentially offer a different viewpoint.

Here we are now, in 2008, with one of the most blatant media biases of all time, and my liberal friends who supposedly only wanted "balance" in their media outlets are now completely silenced. I've stopped watching Fox News because I feel their network has become celebrity-obsessed, and if I really cared to speculate over whether or not Lindsay Lohan is dating that chick, I'd pick up a copy of InTouch magazine or go to Perez Hilton's website. It's not a conservative or liberal thing.

But at least Fox News offered a different perspective, if not conservative. To date, presidential candidate Barack Obama has been on countless magazine covers. Seven came from Time Magazine alone, while Hillary Clinton and John McCain have only been on two. While that fact by itself brings me to tears of cynical laughter from a so-called fair, unbiased magazine - my personal favorite Obama cover is The Rolling Stone. Because somehow, music thinks it's a major part of the political process now. And Obama is a rock star. And conservatives don't like rock and roll, of course. (sarcasm.)

Jennifer Martin

-Jennifer Martin is a twenty-year-old in Cleveland, Tennessee.  Her dad is fellow columnist JC Bowman.


Right now, I'm going to predict that Obama will become the next president. Not just because the country is tired for eight years of a hated Republican president, but because 45% of the population believes that reporters are trying to help Obama, and he receives more positive coverage than any other candidate. As a journalist, I try very hard to give fellow people in the media the benefit of the doubt - but after seeing "weeklong coverage of the Democratic Convention!" alongside a picture of Obama on my Myspace page, I have to give in to the fact that the media is biased, and not for my candidate.

Liberals cry big salty tears about Fox News when they sense prejudice for the right-wing side of things. But as soon as the entire media network become groupies for their "IDKmyBFF"* Obama, no one says a thing. There are a few "Obama speculation" articles, but most tend to say "Nuh uh, Obama does not get more coverage!" Meanwhile, my entire news life is surrounded by the many faces of Obama. Obama, the rock star! Obama, the black man! Obama, the young hip candidate for college students! Obama, the not Bush of politics! Obama, the next John F. Kennedy! Obama, the savior!

I want to (figuratively!) slap liberals upside the head for their blatant ignorance and hypocrisy. Sorry that Fox News doesn't want to join in on the super-fun Obama media orgy, but just take a good look at yourself before you start any of this nonsense.

My new favorite, un-biased news source? You might be surprised. You might not even believe me. But I've started listening to NPR. And it's like a refreshing breath of air. None of the celebrity, gossipy news of Fox. None of the liberal bias of everyone else. And real journalism! I mean that, too. I hear stories about both Obama and McCain. I hear stories about things other than Obama or McCain. Give it a listen sometime, on your way to work in the morning. I've come to really appreciate Morning Edition for its clarity, and almost literary journalism. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself, and free yourself from the grips of Baracksploitation and Obamania.

*IDK - I don't know
**BFF - best friend forever

***The above is a reference to a popular cell phone commercial in which an elderly lady is speaking in "text" talk.

.

HOME

BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE

EDITORIALS

LETTERS

CONTACT US