I love a candid writer almost as much as I love to see the media getting roasted. This is why I enjoyed Harold Cook’s post on his blog, Letters from Texas. Cook claims in his post that the media’s favorite subject is themselves. He makes this argument based on the news story about Perry blocking members of the press from his Twitter feed. According to Cook, this story first broke in Dallas and then went national within a day. However, Cook also points out that one journalist reported over five months ago that Perry has blocked some of his constituents from his Twitter feed—yet the media as a whole paid very little attention to this story. Cook applies inductive reasoning as he provides solid evidence that leads to the conclusion that the media is quick to jump on stories when they themselves have been slighted. He sums it up best when he says, “As for some of the other reporters, good thing they didn't instead become fire fighters. They might not show up to put out the fire until it's their own house in flames.”
While Cook’s blog seems to be written for a more general audience, I would venture a guess that it is read by more of our “left-leaning” friends. I might also assume that these same friends likely already have a general opinion about the media, so Cook doesn’t need to work too hard to persuade his audience. This is why Cook can get away with making such a big claim about the media based on one piece of evidence. Religious blog readers probably have also formed an opinion about Cook, and it seems unlikely that they would continue reading his blog if he had little to no credibility. For a first time reader, Cook implies that he is very knowledgeable about the media and the local journalists, but I would like to know a bit more about what Cook knows before I trust his opinion. I can, however, appreciate Cook’s candidness and willingness to “call out” the media.
Cook, H. (3/6/2011). "Sometimes the media's favorite topic is themselves." Blog post. www.lettersfromtexas.com
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