Dirty Laundry by Don Henley (News Parody)
Unsurprisingly, conservatives dominate the Sunday show lineup. They do every week. And if you look at the most recent hires at the "liberal" MSNBC, they're all conservatives. In fact, Phil Griffin and Andy Lack were so proud of that, they actually ran an ad bragging about it. The NY Times--ever with the pulse of the American people--just hired conservative columnist Bret Stephens, with an auspicious debut column suggesting that maybe climate change isn't real. It's been an ongoing frustration for us liberals that the "both sides" argument never seems to make it to the point of offering equal representation on the airwaves.
And this has had a substantial impact on the country and the way issues are framed. But interestingly, a study has come out that shows that our fictional television habits may have paved the way for this kind of authoritarianism and Trump.
Studies from the past 40 years have shown that regular, heavy exposure to television can shape your views on violence, gender, science, health, religion, minorities and more.
Meanwhile, 20 years ago, we conducted studies in the U.S. and Argentina that found that the more you watch television, the more likely you’ll embrace authoritarian tendencies and perspectives. Heavy American and Argentinian television viewers have a greater sense of fear, anxiety and mistrust. They value conformity, see the “other” as a threat and are uncomfortable with diversity.
There are a million and one small things we can do to make America great again. None of which Trump will ever do. But Trump isn't the problem here; he's a symptom of the larger problem, one in which these shows have contributed greatly. One thing you and I can do over and over is make our voice heard, especially to these networks, that our points of view needs a place at the table. Our values must be represented.
This won't do it.
ABC's "This Week" - Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of New York. Panel: Alex Castellanos, Matthew Dowd, Donna Brazile, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Sara Fagen.
NBC's "Meet the Press" - Pre-empted by French Open tennis.
CBS' "Face the Nation" - Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and James Lankford, R-Okla. Panel: Julie Pace, Susan Page, David Ignatius, and Ed O’Keefe.
CNN's "State of the Union" - Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine; Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. Panel: ep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., Mike Rogers, Neera Tanden, and David Urban.
CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" - Former CIA Director James Woolsey, Elizabeth Foley, Laurence Tribe, and Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada.
CNN's "Reliable Sources" - Jeff Greenfield; Clara Jeffrey, and Matt Lewis, Adam Goldman, and Andy Borowitz.
"Fox News Sunday" - Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel. Panel: Karl Rove, former Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md.; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and Charles Lane.
So what's catching your eye this morning?
