Filling space (future regret)

The media has questioned whether the American public is ready for a black president or for a woman president, but I think it's the media who isn't ready for the American public to be ready for either, because then they have no stories to fill their pages, TV and radio time, and websites.

The media gains nothing from the public simply being okay with it.

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In the interests of fairness, it is worth noting that to allude to "the media" and to make assertions about what "the media" does (which, given that "media" is technically plural, means that from a strict grammatical standpoint, it probably should be "what 'the media' do"; I digress) is conceivably just as an egregious use of generalization as what was suggested the media does (do) with generalizing.

Perhaps the term "the media" is supposed to carry the implicit caveat of meaning "certain members of the group identified as 'the media'" without literally meaning every single person who could be considered included in that group.

Granted, as I've done above, it's not like the term "the media" is used except in a pejorative sense, to indicate that there's something being done by individuals who are part of those who write for newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, or websites that the one using the term finds objectionable. I don't think I've ever heard a sentence like: "The media is doing a great job of reporting on this story." Any compliment is directed at a specific publication or outlet: "The Times did an excellent exposé on government corruption."

Individuals can do a good job; collective terms only screw up.

Generally speaking, that is.

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The point of journalism (the specific medium in the above-mentioned media) is ostensibly to chronicle important events; the real purpose of journalism is to provide a story that sells.

Some may consider that a cynical attitude. I consider it merely an explanation, for example, of why the stories about the presidential campaigns are structured as they are.

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I re-read this Chuck Klosterman piece recently, and for some reason it seems to vaguely apply to something I've mentioned above. If nothing else, it's much more cleverly written than what I've done above.