An Israeli Pundit Scorecard

[Max Sawicky]

I get the feeling that Hill staff read local papers for the same
reason they monitor their constituents.  They are sensitive
to public opinion, but not necessarily in order to serve it.
They may only want to use such information to craft their
messages for self protection and promotion.

By contrast, the 'serious' policy debate occurs more in
the elite outlets.  Cross an elite-sponsored piece of
conventional wisdom in any way that matters and you
can expect a hammering.  This can look bad to the
home folks, whose local papers echo the elite
outlets, though they may be more porous with
respect to anti-elite messages now and again.
The remark about the local papers' reliance on
canned material, including canned opinions,
is salient here.

So the disconnect between elected officials mirrors
that between pols and their local rags.

The potential of the local media, as I see it, is more
long-term -- to try and change public opinion to the
point where popular mobilization is sufficiently
intense and informed to affect policy decisions.

mbs


> 
> Nathan Newman wrote:
> 
> >Actually Congressional staffers read their home town newspapers 
> most closely,
> >which is one of the problems with the whole obsession with DC pundits.