The Media's Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Once again, the media (old and new, they're all guilty) are engaging in their silly, sophomoric and spastic debate in this year's election campaign. Instead of informing the public about the issues that are before the voters (taxes, Iraq, Iran, Korea, health care, Social Security) they are debating what they (the media) are reporting and then debating whether or not they should be debating their debating.

No wonder the media is held in such low esteem. One cannot watch Bill O'Reilly without seeing Bill O'Reilly on TV or hearing him on his radio show talk about the media. O'Reilly slips on the loofah soap every time and goes into "Paranoia One Mode" anytime any media criticise him. It's a vast media conspiracy, he alleges.

One cannot turn on Keith Olbermann without seeing him trash Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.

And, the sad thing is that the media rush to protect each other from any criticism from the public. The media personalities "get away with" things that an average citizen can't.

They are a coddled bunch, the media. They are bloated with their feelings of self-importance. They're an elite club, the media. They're easily swayed. They're easily intimidated by politicians. If they don't suck up to the other media they won't be invited to the high dollar cocktail parties in Washington and New York.

Is there any chance the media (in all forms) will grow up? No way. They enjoy the power trips of being on TV and being quoted on TV by other media pals. It's a media ego trip extraordinaire and the public is being taken for a ride down a rocky road.

The media has "Attention Deficit Disorder" and ratings prove it. Radio listenership is down. TV cable news viewership is down.

One phrase needs to be repeated over and over again when you're watching and listening to the media in this heated and, you'd never know it, important election year, "Grow up or shut up!"

Sadly, there is no "Daddy" to spank them and send them to their rooms.