It seems the media has done the world a disservice by thinking man-on-the-street interviews are useful. For a while interviewers were like vultures, asking for feelings of people in trauma from loss of loved ones, homes, life savings and the countless emotional reactions which shatter people. It seemed they couldn't stop badgering people until they got them to cry on camera. For some reason I either have stopped watching those shows or the producers decided it was the wrong way to go. I found them too intrusive and painful to watch (and this from a psychotherapist who has never minded hearing people's feelings). It was the blatant exploitation of the most private and painful struggles people were forced to describe for the disinterested or voyeuristic public which bothered me.
Now the me4dia has seemed to decide that anyone who has an opinion that differs from that of the current administration is worth being given air and camera time. Considering that the Cheney's (the Big Dick and his opinion clone, Liz) really have no voted-in standing of political office, it always galls me that their word is reported more often than Obama's.
My intent is not to be derisive about the man-on-the-street but have full intent to be so about the paid talking heads on radio and TV. They speak with not much more knowledge than the average citizen. What they know is usually passed on like the parlor game (telephone) so the what they finally say is not-recognizable, quite distorted and no longer accurate. I can only hope they are so thrilled that someone is asking their opinion and can have their 5 minutes of TV fame, many probably don't require much paid. The principals, however, earn huge amounts for reading teleprompters and occasionally being allowed to ask questions, cued by the bug in their ear. Chris Matthews, like Bill O'Reilly, ask lots of questions and then answer them before the guest is permitted to speak. Actually Chris Matthews belabors points to death, subjectively, before he gives an opportunity for his guest to resopnd, if he allows them to at all.
It should be sad for the media that many prefer infomercials and ads to their version of the news.
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