Image versus reality

Bill McKibben's book, The Age of Missing Information, was written 15 years ago, but it is still pertinent. Commenting on the sheer volume of television that we watch (25 or 30 hours per week) and the difficulty we have in hearing subtle but critical messages against it, McKibben says:

If God decided to deliver the Ten Commandments on the Today show, it's true he'd have an enormous audience. But the minute he was finished, or maybe after he'd gotten through six or seven, it would be time for a commercial and then a discussion with a pet psychiatrist about how to introduce your dog to your new baby (page 216).

Our politicians pander to this. Slow-moving stories without televisual appeal are ignored; campaigns that sound far-reaching and momentous are announced in response to headline news, They're usually ineffectual or destined to be forgotten as media attention moves onto something else. See, for instance, this story on the Bush Administration's response to the subprime lending problems in the US. This is government by manipulation: image is the over-riding priority. Appearing to be busy is crucial. Spend money, form committees, restructure: anything, anything at all, except agree on a meaningful outcome and subordinate policy to that.