I had a piece published today regarding Obama, Jeremiah Wright and how the media has shaped the whole story… Here is the link to it: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/lola_adesioye/2008/05/obama_versus_the_media.html
I’m not necessarily pro-Obama and I’m not necessarily pro-Wright. I just find it rather interesting to see how powerful the media vehicle is when it comes to influencing – and dare I say manipulating – the public in a particular direction.
This story – which to me is actually pretty irrelevant – just will not go away, and it has been fanned by the replaying of small snippets and soundbites over and over again.
Having listened to Wright’s sermons in full, I feel sorry for the man. He appears to have been the victim of some kind of character assassination. People will say ‘oh well, his speech on Monday was egotistical’… well maybe it was, but he is probably frustrated and probably a little angry. I would be too. To be honest, I have listened to the entirety of his speeches and once again I believe he made some very good points. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but he is not a crazy black man on a mission to destroy America – that much is for sure.
It’s unfortunate for Obama that he came out to speak at this time. But the whole episode is also very unfortunate for Reverend Wright. He did not choose for the media to pick up on him and his (7 year old sermons) in the way they have done.
ANYWAY my general point is that once upon a time, the role of the media was to be a purveyor of truth and fact. Now, the role of the media appears to be to titillate and sensationalize – and that has destructive consequences for individuals and for society…
Many of the people who are waxing lyrical about Reverend Wright no more than the soundbites they have read in the media, yet this is what they are using to base judgements on Barack Obama.
Lola Has Something 2 Say! 
I agree with you completely. It’s sickening what the media has done to both Wright and Obama.
Did you see Barack and Michelle’s last interview? They looked beaten-down. They’ve been played as though they were criminals. Forget about the politics of this for a moment, we’re talking about the lives of real people here, not some characters out of a damn TV show.
There is no doubt that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright incidents were used as a smear campaign, but I think you’re off base when you characterize the media as ‘the unexpected opponent.’ The mass media is not a rogue-force, it is a constant and predictable variable. The media [at large] is a fair-weather friend that can stab you in the back at any moment.
While I don’t approve of this sort of media coverage, when you are running for President of the United States, it is something you must be prepared to deal with. When you run for public office your life, affiliations, and relationships all come under scrutiny-especially in a long, overdrawn campaign like this one.
I agree that the looped Rev. Wright sermon sound bites were unwarranted, but his speeches just added fuel to the fire. When you state that Rev. Wright was ‘used as a tool by the media’, I don’t think that you are giving Rev. Wright enough credit. Wright is an intelligent individual who made a choice against the advice of his circle to speak numerous times this weekend. Damage control can make or break a campaign. It appears that Obama is still in position to be the nominee, but the question is whether this will be an enduring issue for the general election.
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Well, Elliot, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong.
Wright didn’t make a complete ass of himself until AFTER the media made a tool of him. That’s the whole point!
LOL?! Is this a joke? You do realize that Wright gave a big press conference and substantiated everything he appeared to be saying in those “30 second sound bytes”, right? I mean, why do you think Obama denounced him? Seriously, is this article supposed to be a joke? I mean, I’ve met some dumb Obama supporters in my day, but this goes a little too far…