Everyone’s a TV critic, including the candidates
One week into presidential primary season, the news is all about — the news.
Donald Trump’s feud with Megyn Kelly is now matched by Ted Cruz’s post-Iowa fuss with CNN, and overall there is way too much reporting about TV personalities and reporters,
No matter whether Cruz’s campaign or CNN is to blame for false rumors about Ben Carson dropping out on Iowa caucus night, Carson’s campaign was slow to respond.
When Trump blamed Cruz and Cruz dished responsibility to the cable network, that only fueled a campaign that is way too much about TV talk and reporters’ tweets.
“You have candidates who are making the media the big issue, and in primary states the media can be a really good target,” said Aaron Chimbel, a former award-winning producer at WFAA/Channel 8 and now an associate professor in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University.
One political headline sounded more like a sports report Thursday: “It’s Trump vs. Kelly again in Fox debate March 3.”
It’s a lot of hype … Your goal is to keep people watching hour after hour. So you get people to say explosive things to get attention.
TCU associate professor Aaron Chimbel on 24-hour network news
Chimbel said he can’t remember a panelist making this much news since 1988, when CNN’s Bernard Shaw asked Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis whether he would still oppose the death penalty if his own wife were raped and murdered.
“Megyn Kelly has asked very legitimate questions,” Chimbel said.
“Turning any of this on the journalists is unfortunate.”
At the same time, Chimbel said he would give journalists a “B” for the coverage so far.
“Certainly, people are not watching and thinking this represents the best ideals of American journalism,” he said.
The nightly newscasts and Sunday panel shows are doing their best to present a serious summary of the campaign, he said.
But then there’s cable.
“Cable news is very competitive, and you have to fill 24 hours,” said Chimbel, a veteran of the 24-hour TxCN Texas Cable News network.
“You have to replay the same thing and still keep viewers interested. So it’s a lot of hype … Your goal is to keep people watching hour after hour. So you get people to say explosive things to get attention, and you see everything drilled into the ground.”
His advice for viewers of fear-and-anxiety-inducing cable news, whether it’s CNN, Fox News or MSNBC:
“The best thing to do is go out for a walk. Take a break.”
Maybe until after primary season.
Bud Kennedy: 817-390-7538, bud@star-telegram.com, @BudKennedy. His column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 8:51 PM with the headline "Everyone’s a TV critic, including the candidates."