It must be an election year

The media is chattering about gay marriage, people of color(immigrants) destroying America, Iraq turning yet another corner, and now leaks of vague, completely unsubstantiated terror threats.

The media likes all of these issues, besides Iraq, because they are "easy" stories. Gay marriage, immigration, and vague terror threats involve no cost and practically no reporting. The 24 hour networks can fill their vast empty spaces by isolating these issues down to he said/she said and get think tankers and politicians to act as unpaid talent.

I mean, look at the majority of the Iraq coverage (the majority of airtime at least.) The coverage of Iraq is very rarely about reporting, but instead reduced down to a pro-Bush and anti-Bush representative talking about how they feel about Iraq and Iraq policy. I don't give a crap how Bob Shrum feels, or Pat Buchanon. That doesn't help anybody but the political parties and the 24 hour networks.

The simpler these issues are, and the more free from actual fact, the better for the networks. The constructed conflict is about feeling not thinking. That's why Colbert is so brilliant, and that's why Jon Stewart was able to take apart Crossfire. (Tucker Carlson is still "hurting America" by the way.)