There was an interesting interplay on MSNBC’s Now with Alex Wagner show. They were discussing the almost celebrity status of politicians in this election, meaning they aren’t following the traditional path of campaigning by giving a lot of strong news interviews, shaking the flash and kissing babies. The candidates for the Republican nomination have relied on soft news areas like Fox News and social media to get their message across. Newt Gingrich was the one in focus for their report, but Herman Cain and others were mentioned.
One of the commentators on the panel was Imogen Lloyd Webber. If the name sounds familiar you would be correct in assuming that she is the daughter of Andrew Lloyd Webber, famed musical composer. From her profile on the internet, she is a political analysis in England, but judging by the photos taken of her and reading her profile, she seems more like an intelligent Paris Hilton rather than a journalist.

What was ironic to me was here was a commentator who, and let’s be real honest about this, may have gone to school to learn the craft of journalist but her name definitely opened doors, complaining about politicians who are using celebrity status tactics to campaign for office. Newt and Rick Santorum had the same commentator status as Imogen Lloyd Webber at Fox News before running for President. Possible candidates Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee are commentators for Fox. Recently Megan McCain, daughter of Senator John McCain, analyzed the political landscape for MSNBC. George Bush’s daughter Jenna Bush, and Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea Clinton have been hired as commentators for NBC.

While the public can decide what candidate is suitable for being President, and you can question the merits of being a celebrity type person as President, news groups hire celebrity reporters. We have no vote in the matter and while it could be said being a celebrity reporter is less dangerous to the country than being a celebrity President, it seems distressing to me that people are being called journalist, or at least given a commentator status, without any prerequisites other than being the offspring or related to a famous person.

The old joke used to be that bloggers were nothing more than ordinary people sitting at their computers in pajamas giving uninformed opinions. Sorry to point this out but what is the difference between them and the offspring of famous people given a platform on a cable news show? The problem isn’t that they might not have insight that might bring some information to the table. In Imogen Lloyd Webber’s case her biography suggests she does have a keen political insight, but if she had the same schooling and not the famous name would doors have been open to her so quickly. Here is another interesting example. Kal Penn is an actor from the Harold and Kumar series, so from that you could say he’s just some actor. Well, he worked on the President’s staff for a few years. He was on the same panel that Megan McCain was on. The same panel had two established Washington reporters. While it might be a stretch to have Kal Penn talking about politics on a panel with long time insiders, considering he was working for the White House for two years kind of gives him an in to the table. Also he wasn’t classified as an expert or a commentator, he was an actor. Megan McCain is an intelligent woman who has written two books, but in the discussion one of the journalist and she referred to John McCain as ‘her father.’ Yes, it was correct he is her father, but in my head I kept wondering what she brought to the table, other than a youthful  voice. It would be doubtful, if not for her father’s name, she would be at the table discussing politics.

I worry that granting commentator status to people who are just giving opinions off the top of their head rather than truly researching an issue is going to dilute journalistic integrity. We are already on a dangerous ledge by giving non-journalist commentator status, which in the mind of many people makes them journalist. When Pat Buchannon makes a statement, he isn’t a journalist who has researched and vetted his information. He may have heard something at a party, may have been told something by a friend, or he has a gut instinct for a topic. When he comes on MSNBC and makes a statement, they may want to say in a disclaimer his opinions are not those of MSNBC and parent companies, but he’s being paid by MSNBC and by proxy is representing them. But to counter any critics of his commentary, he has years of Republican Party experience, connections from his White House years and quite a few books. What is the gravitas Chelsea, Megan or Jenna when compared to that?


<< PREVIOUS
NEXT >>

Copyright © Chaotic Fringe LLC. All rights reserved.

Celebrity Child or Commentator? - December 03, 2011
Home | News | Entertainment | Blog | Podcast | IMVN | Everquest 2 | Links | Photos | V-Blog