Commentary by TrueDialog.org's Founder, Carl Lindemann

August 4 - "Clowns to the Left of me, Jokers to the Right..."

Maybe we should blame the simple plot lines of Hollywood summer action flicks. It seems that, following their lead, newspapers can hardly conceive of any story that does not pit irrevocably opposed characters in an irresolvable conflict. It's as if every day brings a new episode of the Die Hard franchise. Consider the Kennebeck Journal's "Maine Heritage Policy Center Has Rival: Progressives form own think tank." What's hard to figure here is how the reporter came up with this interpretive frame for what was little more than an announcement that a new umbrella organization has chosen an Executive Director. 

Perhaps it wasn't enough for a story on its own - a press release from a new umbrella organization announcing the selection of an executive director. Maybe Susan Cover, the otherwise competent reporter who penned the piece, needed to spice it up a bit. Creating this "conflict frame" creates tension by giving the impression that these rivals will soon square off in some bitter grudge match. Even though that may be so, what does the public learn about the underlying issues to such a conflict? Rather than informing us about the ideas and positions either side may have, this article amounts to little more than a shopping list of the major issues that are the flashpoints for the partisan divide. 

I suspect that most people know that in today's polarized political environment that the various forces line up against each other around various issues. The downside to this is that a great many people are  disgusted and disinterested in what seems to outsiders as little more than a shouting match. Since the issues are presented as irresolvable, what's the point in getting involved? There's no mediation or resolution possible, no reality check to sort out the various claims. The end result is disengagement, an insidious self-imposed political disenfranchisement. How this desire for journalistic "balance" distorts reality is the subject of an interesting analysis of coverage given to Climate Change. 

This critique adopts well to news reporting in general. The conflict storytelling reflects how the Culture of Spin has weakened our hold on objective reality. Imagine if, in Copernicus' day, the conflicting views over whether the sun revolved around the Earth or vice-versa was reduced to just some personal beef between antagonists. Instead, it was a flashpoint in the search for scientific knowledge. Out of it, we developed the Scientific Method - a means to move from subjective opinion to objective reality. Now, we seem to be tossed back into a pre-scientific mindset. Different views are just a matter of different taste and there is no way to sort these out. 

What's problematic here is how far Cover is willing to stretch the facts to fit this frame. The Maine Civic Engagement Project is a collaboration of some 40 groups. It's not clear, in fact, that there is any "think tank" aspect to this new group at all. So if it isn't Think Tank A versus Think Tank B, how are the equivalent? Does Cover mean to say that MHPC, too, is a collaboration of various groups and interests?  If so, who are they?  The Maine Civic Engagement Project lists the organizations under its umbrella. Does it make a difference that MHPC keeps the groups it represents out of sight? And if the groups are not alike, then why are they offered as equals squared off each other???

Incidentally, I have been in contact with some of the members of this consortium. I want to see what their policy will be as far as transparency in funding and whether they will be willing to participate in developing best practices that might serve as a model for such organizations. To put it another way, will they keep their support hidden as MHPC does? Or will the public be entitled to know who is voicing political views here?

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What is Authenticity?

The Wages of Spin   Project Spin Shop

Ideas & Essays   Spin Shops, State by State

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