COMMENTARY
Iowa caucuses reveal media lapses
By MARTIN SCHRAM Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, January 9, 2012
Iowa's 2012 Republican caucuses gave us either two winners
or no winners at all, as in Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum virtually tied and
Ron Paul finished just a whisker behind them.
And in the only total that really matters, but was little
mentioned, all three received seven of Iowa's Republican convention delegates.
But America's inexplicably traditional first voting told us
something important, not really about those running for president but about
those of us who cover them: When we don't really report, you can't really
decide.
First, recall the wall-to-wall news coverage of Iowa's meaningless
(except for political party money-making) Republican straw poll last August.
As all the pols and their handlers learned decades ago, you
can win it by spending more money to bus in and feed more of your own people
who will vote for you. Last August, Michele Bachmann won.
Tuesday night, she finished last among Iowa's real caucus
combatants.
Second, we turn to what Americans most need from the news
media: our journalistic skill and determination to go far beyond what the
candidates are emphasizing to make the sale with voters.
At least by examining their past deeds as deeply as we
covered that meaningless straw poll.
[20120109 Scripts Schram Iowa caucuses reveal media lapses]
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