Thomas Jefferson once declared, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Sadly, one can no longer espouse such faith in this country’s media. The media have become complicit in the mudslinging and the lack of focus on issues, and they are having a serious impact. Having just researched a 20-page PWR paper on media influence, and learned about the media’s impact in my political science class, it is astounding how much of an effect Wolf Blitzer, Rush Limbaugh, The New York Times and others can have.

The media can tell its audience what to think about and what standards they should use to judge an issue, but it seems to be spending more time relating the life story of the prostitute linked to former New York governor Eliot Spitzer than focusing on issues of substance. The irresponsible and distorted reporting is especially prominent in coverage of the presidential election, where, for instance, they misattribute statements to Barack Obama’s pastor and comb 17,481 pages of Hillary Clinton’s First Lady schedules to establish the fact that she was in the White House on the day of Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky and the infamous stained blue dress. All this coverage ranges from falsehood to distortion, to trashy.

One of my classmates recently lampooned CNN’s “best political team on television,” by dubbing them “CNNenemies” of truth. This is sad (albeit hilarious satire), and with the tremendous power of the media, scary. The media are supposed to be the Fourth Estate. Yes, they’re for-profit businesses, and are basically giving their audience what they’re asking for in order to boost their ratings. Which is why we the readers/viewers should stop demanding sex and scandal and soundbites. I, for one, would like to have Thomas Jefferson’s faith in the media once again.