Who's Accountable for the Media?

It is safe to assume that presidential candidate George W. Bush would have preferred that his comments about a New York Times reporter remained between himself and his running mate, Dick Cheaney. Unfortunately for Bush, his microphone betrayed him and his rather graphic description of one of his familiar media adversaries is now making headlines across the country.

As almost any public figure would admit - off the record of course - the media is rarely held accountable for anything that it prints or broadcasts. The damage inflicted by media reports that are often based on speculation or questionable sources is far greater than that which could be returned by isolated personal attacks on the personality of individual journalists. Although certainly not appropriate, Bush’s venting of personal frustration was certainly understandable. There is simply no recourse for public figures that are constantly under the media microscope, being criticized for every decision in their personal and professional lives. Bush’s words were motivated by his personal convictions, his personal opinion about another individual that he probably does not know well enough to judge so harshly. Bush’s words, however, were directed to his close friend, in confidence. Members of the media offer their personal opinions of individuals - whom they most certainly do not know well enough to personally critique - to an audience that may be as large as the entire world.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the media and its coverage of world events is that the very nature of the media prevents it from ever being properly regulated. No one is suggesting that free speech be inhibited or that anyone’s opinion be censored, but everyone should be held accountable for their words and their actions. Mr. Bush certainly will be.