Is The Media Gearing Up For Another Near Death Panel Experience?

by Glynnis MacNicol | 3:24 pm, November 16th, 2009

» 5 comments

sarah_palin2 With just a little over an hour to go before Sarah Palin invades the airwaves for the forseable future now may be a good time, in the past is prologue sense, to consider the effect she had last time she invaded the Internets. Earl Blumenauer, a Democratic congressman from Oregon, penned very instructive op-ed piece this weekend about how perfectly reasonable, run-of-the-mill political decision can get hijacked by politicians (and others) looking to make a quick headline. The example in this case is the end-of-life provisions added to the health care bill by Blumenauer — you may be familiar with them under their alternate label: death panels.

Blumenauer’s timeline detailing how one became the other — with the powerful helping hand of Sarah Palin– is fascinating in a number of regards, but specifically because Palin is once again about to be handed a very large microphone. Blumenauer notes that in the all-night health care bill mark-up session of July 16 that “nowhere was there a single proposal to change the end-of-life language, nor a word spoken in opposition. Not a single word.” Enter Betsy McCaughey and Sarah Palin, and a “vicious news cycle” where “lies take on lives of their own on Web sites, blogs and e-mail chains and go viral in seconds.” In this last regard Blumenauer had less than kind words for the MSM:

The news media was a particular culprit in this drama. This was not just Fox News; seemingly all the national news organizations monitored any meetings they could find between lawmakers and constituents, looking for flare-ups, for YouTube moments. The meetings that involved thoughtful exchanges or even support for the proposals would never find their way on air; coverage was given only to the most outrageous behavior, furthering distorting the true picture.
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It didn’t matter. The “death panel” episode shows how the news media, after aiding and abetting falsehood, were unable to perform their traditional role of reporting the facts. By lavishing uncritical attention on the most exaggerated claims and extreme behavior, they unleashed something that the truth could not dispel.

The question remain whether the news media will be able to perform its “traditional role of reporting the facts” going forward — between Palin’s book and the health care bill/Stupak amendment making its way through the Senate it may be a challenge. When everyone in the media is struggling to stay afloat, the call of a splashy headline is sometimes hard to resist.

Related: BBC’s Rome Hartman is more optimistic and thinks the viewing public won’t be fooled again: “People are smart enough to know shamelessness when they see it.” But what if that’s all they see?

Betsy McCaughey, Cable News, Death Panels, Earl Blumenauer, fox news, Sarah Palin, Stupak Amendment, Stupak Is As Stupak Does

ImNotBlue

Just remember folks… when talking about healthcare rationing… deflect the issue to Palin and “death panels.” Don’t talk about the actual issue or its inevitability… don’t reference articles like this one, which talks about the future of rationed healthcare, just talk about Palin. And don’t remember articles like this, which advocate rationing as a needed cost-cutting measure, just talk about Palin.

It’s much easier to talk about her, roll your eyes, and say, “Ha-ha, death panels,” than to confront the larger issue or rationing, which is done in most government-run healthcare programs, and will eventually happen if Obamacare passes. People don’t like to hear about that… they might not support the program, if they knew that their “worth” would be considered before receiving some life sustaining treatments.

Remember… talk about Palin. Sure it’s a dishonest deflection, picked up and supported by those who either can’t see down the road that far, or are so hell-bent in their support of Obama and universal healthcare that the reality doesn’t matter… but that’s what needs to be done. Palin Palin Palin… see, talk about her… deflection is much more fun than reality.
marigrace

Although “death panels” were a myth, the fact the Healthcare bill has contents ordering that doctors should be punished; who order higher costing treatments for those on Medicare, could potentially be a huge detriment to the lives of the elderly.
libra blue

Three posts already today about Palin! I think someone has an “obsession.”
Ceek

The Palin/Oprah interview was a hit….therefore, some folks will have to work overtime to come up with negative things to say about her. Heavens to betsy, we can’t have a positive day of Palin coverage.
butters8686

The term “Death Panels” has been sensationalized by the media while the real issue of the Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel decision-making panel (already passed with the Obama Stimulus plan) will be in charge of what to do is (and most likely when) we come to a rationing situation. I have yet to hear the MSM attempt to analyze Emanuel’s “Life Years” calculation to determine who gets certain treatments over others. Plus, that gets thrown out versus someone with political connections getting the special favors over everyone.
Every day, Dr. Betsy McCaughey’s discoveries and criticisms of both recent “Health Care” bills are being proven true and punching holes in the lies and distortions of her positions perpetrated by the Government, Left-leaning advocates and the mainstream media.
For further reading, here is a link to Emanuel’s “Life Years” decision-making process for the inevitable rationing: http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/PIIS0140673609601379.pdf
Rep Blumenauer, in his piece, proved himself to be the phony as he should be thanking the media for helping his side attempt to destroy anyone who questions the conventional wisdom of the current crop of socialized health care legislation.