During this election cycle, “change” has been the centerpiece of both political parties’ marketing policies to the people of America. Both political parties and both presidential candidates have claimed they are the ones that really represent change for the people. What may be rare in the political history of the United States is that both sides in this issue maybe actually telling the truth. However, the change that I am talking about is not the change being offered as political discord by either candidate. The real change in this election is a change that is being done right before our eyes, yet no one seems to care.
In days not so long ago one of the main political discussions was, “what are the political leanings of America’s major TV anchor-person, Walter Cronkite?” Both sides claimed that they “thought” Cronkite belonged to the other party. However, a quick check of polling information found that Walter Cronkite was a registered independent. The fact was that the major media networks, following in the legacy of the great reporters like Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Chet Huntley and Howard K. Smith, demanded that “fairness and even treatment” was their core responsibility in political coverage. A reporter or even a network might have leaned slightly Democratic but not at the expense of fairness. If an issue was raised, both sides were vented. Candidates on both sides were soundly questioned. Reporters claimed “freedom of the press” and that claim was honored because the media was performing a function of the nation. The media was the watchdog for the nation and they accepted that responsibility and performed their duties following the ethics most reporters learned in journalism class. People from the world of journalism supervised the newsrooms and principles were observed.
