Politicians Must Be Penalized for Lies

There are a number of things wrong with journalism these days. For one thing, too many media outlets, particularly talk radio and cable news, are stridently and obviously one-sided. The oldline networks try to be impartial, but as they cut and cut their news gathering services they have fewer resources to dig up really good stuff. Then there is print, still the best at ferreting out a story, but also losing that edge through remorseless paring of personnel. It's a vicious cycle of cutting to save money, producing a watered-down product, thus losing readership which forces still more staff reductions.

Then there is the problem of courage, the courage go beyond simply reporting charges and counter charges and actually give an analysis of issues, to let the reader know who is telling the truth. I saw an example of this today in an item in the Nation and World section of the Fresno Bee titled "GOP Leader Accused of Lying." You can read it here. Provided by Kevin G. Hall of McClatchey News Services, it told the story of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd who took Senate floor and, "delivered a blistering 20-minute speech that included the revelation of a political talking points memo from a Republican strategist that was virtually verbatim to the criticism voiced Tuesday by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky."

The problem with the article is primarily the headline. The article itself does a good job showing McConnell's remarks were full of several outright lies, but the headline is misleading because it makes the "accusations" the story. In so doing it downplays the significance of what happened. A story about politicians making charges against each other is a yawner that most readers will skip over. A good, honest headline that had said, "McConnell Caught in Lies About Bank Bill" would be sure to command a lot of attention.

Dodd's speech refers to a memo prepared by Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz. It tells Republicans to characterize Dodd's committee's financial regulatory bill as a "bailout for the banks." It tells that even after President Obama had legislative leadership to the White House to clarify the bill's contents, "and shortly afterward-as if to underscore Dodd's points-an aide to House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio sent an email to reporters that mischaracterized what Dodd's bill would do."

As long as politicians can distort and lie with impunity they will do so. It is the press's job to call them on it remorselessly when they do so. That is the only way we will ever get them to level with the public. The functioning of a democracy depends on the Fourth Estate doing its job,.