The public gets what the public wants / But I want nothing this society's got

Over at Burnt Symmetry there are some interesting parallels and observations re: Chavez & populism.

Some additional thoughts.
Mugabe also began going popular in about 1992 (1992-1980= 12 years).
2006 - 1994 = 12 years (what happened in 1994 again?). But I digress.

The blame here is partly placed on shoddy journalism (absence of objective reporting). I’m not sure that this is the case though. More & more I see people clustering around the type of news that they like to read. Stories and opinions that resonate with their world view. So the papers write what most people like. I visit liberal blogs but pass only a cursory glance over the single thesis blogs like crimeexpo.

I don't think that this concept of opinion-loaded reporting is a recent phenomonen though. See here.

As The Jam so profoundly thundered in the 70's: (OK they hit number one with this in March 1980, but it is so 70's..)
What you see is what you get
Youve made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
Youll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns
The public gets what the public wants
But I want nothing this society's got

I would go further to say that frankly I think it's always been the case that journalists write for their audience. Since the dawn of time.

For instance when my great-great-grandfather was jailed for two weeks by Paul Kruger when he was the editor of the Pilgrim's Rest based "Gold Fields Mercury" in the 1870's it was for writing for his audience (the miners) and criticising the actions of the government of the day. While his news may have had its roots in fact it was driven by his opinion. Such was his following though that the miners stormed the jail and released him. This was considered a revolt and a detachment of soldiers - 25 men and a cannon - was sent from Lydenburg, but good sense prevailed and it all came to naught.

The very fact that one can usually, and always have been able to, classify newspapers as left-leaning, right-leaning, conservative or liberal indicates that there is a bias inherent in the content.

The problem arises when we forget this. We just need to be aware that everything we read is clouded by opinion and most of the time we like it that way. Yes, sometimes this opinion masquerades as fact - and we do need to be awake to that. Engaging and blindly accepting the word of the media is a bit like entering a dark alley and not expecting to be mugged. Vigilance helps in this environment. In fact your very survival depends on it.

But all is not lost. If something is reported that is of consequence and is overly-crowded with bias then there is bound to be someone who challenges this. And the forum to challenge does exist. It exists in the shift that is coming for the “The people formerly known as the audience”. (That’s you & me, ladies and gentlemen).