Letter to the Commander

Dear President Obama, 

As a Journalism & Media Studies masters candidate and as a lover of press freedom, I am officially disgusted by the state of today’s media.

Media moguls like Glenn Beck and Donald Trump—the star of the highest rated show on NBC—appear to be gearing up for a presidential bid, or at least creating publicity from the rumors.  When Ronald Reagan ran for president, many seriously questioned both the integrity and the intelligence of electing a foreman that has ties to the media.  And now many, including myself, are beginning to question that very same thing again today.

Media conglomerates profit from story lines that keep the public interested.  Whether it be reality television stars, fictional movie characters, opinionated on-air “news” personalities, successful athletes, or public figures targeted by traditional journalists, the public remains interested because of the narrative.  Humans are fascinated by the way stories unfold and evolve (eg. entertainment wrestling).  No offense, but this is precisely how you were elected; your persona transcended media.

But, let’s face it, politics no longer has the ability to better society like it once could.  It is now a game in which one side tries to keep the other from winning, or rather, to keep oneself and one’s ideas from being stamped out.  With the media’s help, elected officials are using the public to play a complicated game of pong.  But, what happens when the media begins to interfere with politics?

It appears that General Electric (GE) is not only playing this game with the unknowing public, but are trying to create a society in which GE itself can profit most.  Why?  It’s simply good business.

In a recent airing of the Today Show, Meredith Vieira questioned Donald Trump about his thoughts on you and a potential presidential run.  While this likely appeared to the general population as an objective interview, I couldn’t contain my disgust.  With colorful NBC peacock in corner, an NBC personality (posing as a journalist) interviewed another NBC personality (posing as a politician).  According to recent polls (conveniently conducted by NBC), Donald Trump is a legitimate contender.  Though the survey’s statistical error was too high for the results to be accurate, how many Americans understood this mathematical anomaly?  How many citizens, after watching this interview, now believe that Donald Trump could make a good president?

Remember when people were saying Bush went into Iraq for oil, yet he always denied it?  Well, Trump happily admitted that he would interfere with Libya only if we could get their oil.  Talk about a blunt turn of events.  Also, why were they showing footage of Trump’s show, Celebrity Apprentice?  Sure, it was flawless NBC self-promotion, but it had this feel to it that I’m not sure even the two individuals on screen could recognize.  Its obvious that popular journalism is not objective. Whether or not Trump runs, the ideas he babbled had the ability to influence viewers. Three of the ten minutes were spent on your birth certificate.  NBC producers edited the interview to make Trump look bullish and confident.  This multi-billionaire, real estate and media mogul claimed to be a Tea Party activist while pictures of actual activists filled the screen, holding signs containing anti-government one-liners, photos with you as Hitler, and anti-communist symbols.

“Communism” is a taboo word in today’s society, and has been for decades.  Ronald Reagan, who was the television host of General Electric Theater, continued to push the idea that communism is bad for our society.  Do you not find it strange that Reagan was a blue-blood Democrat until working for GE (who currently owns NBC)?  Why would those working with and for a media corporation, one considered to be liberal, be so adamant about hating communism?  Perhaps, and this may be too cynical, communism would hinder the kind of economic environment that shareholders desire despite the historic separation between government and journalism. Hence the inclusion of these images, for communism is clearly not a legitimate threat.

Is it entirely conscious?  No.  Is it entirely malicious?  No, because that requires intentional malice.  Quite simply, people just love their money.  As much as we enjoy a good conspiracy, I can’t convince myself to believe any one person or group of people is smart enough to manipulate the nation to his or her advantage.  However, after realizing that GE is connected to a current contender for the White House and News Corp. may also be trying (with Glenn Beck and/or Sarah Palin), it appears that the media conglomerates that finance nearly all television programming, mainstream music, radio, motion pictures, publishing companies, and theme parks are developing flamboyant personalities, with fascinating narratives, that could become our future President.

Could you imagine George Washington doing this to the colonies?  Could you imagine Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln being upended by a journalist?  The fourth estate was given First Amendment protection to keep the government from abusing its power, not as a loophole for media companies to gain power. If there is one thing our country needs most, it is to be awakened from this apathetic, entertainment-induced slumber.

But my fear is that this is not simply a conservative thing.  Sure, an uninhibited free market aligns more with Republican ideologies, but you too are a result of todays media environment.  You literally rewrote the book on how to become president in the digital age, and thanks to last year’s Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporate entities now have free reign to indirectly support a presidential candidate.  And who has more to gain from this than a media conglomerate like GE, which has a net worth of $150 billion and hundreds of media outlets able to bolster a character like Donald Trump, or at least his ideologies?  Compare that to the $650 million you raised in your last campaign and it becomes clear that a single corporation could, for the first time, attempt to buy the presidency.  The country does not need a CEO in office; it needs a president as uninfluenced by these agenda-setting businesses as possible.

In receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, I have come to realize that there is nothing more important to shareholders than obtaining as much money as possible.  Therefore, it is in media shareholder’s best interest to take the presidency away from those who might attempt to regulate corporate capitalism.  Donald Trump, whether or not he runs, is simply a pawn.  In many ways, you’ve become one too.

My hope is that few are persuaded to agree with the media in any way.  However, both of us know this is impossible.  You will not be able to win without overwhelming media support like last time.  And there will be Republican candidates who come from a world of media bias who know how to persuade the public too.  Either way, the media wins.  Hopefully, this nation gets at least one candidate willing to speak on behalf of the average citizen.  As the current leader of this great nation, it is literally your duty more than any other to stand above this greedy cycle.  Screw politics.  Screw compromise.  We need a leader who is willing to fight for our best interests, even when we don’t know what is best for ourselves.  If you don’t mind me asking, why exactly are you afraid of loosening your collar and standing up for your beliefs like we’ve seen in the past?  Your legacy is already secure.  A hundred years from now, schools and statues and streets will be erected in your honor.  You are the first non-white president and you won the Nobel Peace Prize while in office.  Your résumé is overflowing.

My hope is that you run a more brilliant campaign than last time.  But more importantly, my hope is that (assuming you win) you have enough presidential courage to act as presidents are supposed to act.  It is time for you to practice what you once preached, and change.  My hope is that you rise above, or transcend, partisanship instead of trying to bring two polar ends together.  This era may not be ready for your words, but you must speak them anyway. You were elected to see reality more clearly than anyone else.  If and when you put your hand back over that Bible, whether you believe its words or not, I pray you kick it to the man—even the ones who helped elect you—and speak your eloquent mind instead of cowering away from the media, for the sake of this great nation.

Sincerely,

An Uncomfortable Journalist and Citizen of the United States