During the course of Wisconsin's protests, I have never been as enthralled with my Facebook as I am right now. Usually people post videos of popular songs, write about how much they love this or that and rant about things I couldn't care less about. But this week, people have been posting more political commentary and news information than usual. And for a politically inclined person such as myself, this was a sure recipe for a renewed Facebook addiction.
While sifting through videos of Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, yelling and Gov. Scott Walker's news conferences, I found some other videos commenting on the situation that confused facts, misled viewers and added nothing valuable to the discussion at hand. Not surprisingly, most of these came from popular commentators broadcasting to a national audience.
From misinformation to random information, the national media has inserted itself into Wisconsin with less than stellar results.
One of the most disappointing national media members who came to Wisconsin was Andrew Breitbart, a prominent conservative blogger. His blog, biggovernment.com, is on my to-read list every morning. When I found out he would be visiting Madison, I became excited to hear what he had to say at the Tea Party rally on Saturday but was severely disappointed.
Unfortunately, when I finally got around to watching his speech, I found it was pointless and irrelevant. He spoke of ""union thuggery"" and ""anarchists,"" neither of which were evident at the Capitol protests. Instead of discussing whether unions should have the right to collectively bargain or Walker's bill in general, Breitbart was more of a distraction from the cause than anything. And as a leader in the conservative movement, Breitbart did no favor to the governor he supports and the cause he is trying to promote.
Other major news outlets have contributed less than satisfactory coverage of the protests as well. Sources like Fox News and even leaders like Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have misrepresented the protests as chaotic and riotous. But among the worst things I have seen at the Capitol were signs with less-than-pleasant phrases and pictures. Because of the controversial nature of some of these proclamations, news outlets have focused their attention on signs with Walker dressed as Hitler and ones with a bull's eye on Walker's forehead. But the fact is that these protests are peaceful and the vast majority of signs are civil—something the media should aim to portray.
Yet from what I could tell, MSNBC editorial shows have been the most misleading with their coverage over the last few days.
The Ed Show with Ed Schultz has misrepresented nearly every aspect of the Budget Repair Bill. He claims that Walker was preparing the National Guard for a fight. He also passed on information that all collective bargaining rights were being eliminated for all employees despite the fact that most employees would still be able to negotiate wages under the proposed bill. Finally, Schultz said 20 percent of state workers' salaries would be lost. This is a gross overestimate: Most sources, including the Department of Administration, claim that the real figure is around 7 to 11 percent.
Facts are important, and when someone with a national audience like Ed Schultz gets them wrong, individuals mobilize under inaccurate intentions. It is practically the same as when Breitbart comes to town and starts preaching about anarchy. These conversations do not add to the debate and just muddle what is important: collective bargaining rights and balancing the budget.
Finally, there is Rachel Maddow. Her show has made me think more intently about her claims that Wisconsin is not broke, or that it is only broke because of Walker's tax cuts. Hearing this, I was disappointed that Walker's actions led directly to a budget deficit. I regained my trust in Walker, however, after I read that Maddow left out the hundreds of millions of dollars of unpaid bills in her monologue, deflating the very real budget crisis in Wisconsin.
But when Maddow started her show saying ""there is nothing wrong in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is fine,"" she perpetrated a gross lie that would put most Wisconsinites in an uproar. Right now, 14 senators are not showing up for work, the assembly Republicans have tried to take votes before the Democrats came back, teachers and TAs are leaving their pickets to go back to class—all during a time when the state is $3.6 billion in debt. The truth is, things are not fine in Wisconsin.
What is happening is important to Wisconsin and the nation as a whole. If Wisconsin can move power away from public unions, there is no telling what other states could follow suit.
But when the national media poorly represents the protests from both sides, the debate cannot move forward and ultimately no one benefits. So while protesters and Facebook-ers are giving Walker failing grades for his work, I think it's time the media receive some harsh criticism for their poor journalistic skills as well.
Matt Beaty is a sophomore majoring in math and computer science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
