"Journalism and Democracy Rely on Many Voices," Opines Prof. Jeff McCall '76

September 20, 2019

The media attention drawn by one new member of Congress (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and the inattention received by another (Jim Baird) is noted by Jeffrey M. McCall. He writes, "The imbalance of attention between these two representatives demonstrates yet again that news decisions are too often based on sensation and emotion. That imbalance keeps Baird, and dozens of other representatives out of the news agenda."

In a column for The Hill, McCall, professor of communication (media studies) at DePauw University, notes, "A search of the Washington Post website returns more than 1,800 results for Ocasio-Cortez. She is included in a report almost every day. The only story on the WaPo site for Baird mentions him parenthetically in a story about Jeff Bezos donating to a super PAC to elect military veterans."

The professor adds, "None of this AOC hysteria is the fault of the Congresswoman, per se, but rather the poor judgement of the media -- both left- and right-leaning -- which have used her as a shiny object for their own purposes. A case could be made that over-coverage of Ocasio-Cortez has disrupted her fledgling legislative career, making her a focal point and lightning rod too soon for her own good. The media have focused as much on her pop culture appeal (or opposition) as on any substantial contributions to the legislative process."

The op-ed concludes, "News outlets need to stop chasing the usual sources for news and expand their contact lists to include the many other duly-elected Bairds in Washington. Journalism and democracy rely on many voices, including the workhorses on both sides of the aisle who are being overlooked."

You'll find the complete piece at the newspaper's website.

Jeff McCall is a 1976 graduate of DePauw, where he was a Rector Scholar and speech (communication) major. He went on to earn a master's degree from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. He joined the DePauw faculty in 1985 and is the author of Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences.

A former journalist himself, McCall is regularly quoted in stories on media matters. He recently joined in a community conversation on social media, covered here.