The darkening mood

One of the online sites I check each day is poynter.org, a journalism industry site put together by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. Institute faculty member Al Thompkins posts story ideas each day that editors and reporters may choose to pursue in their communities. Today's posting is intriguing. Here's a snippet:

"OK, so we all know the public is upset with President Bush. But the new Reuters/Zogby poll shows that the public thinks even less of Congress. Reuters says:

A paltry 11 percent rated Congress positively, beating the previous low of 14 percent in July.The Reuters/Zogby Index, a new measure of the mood of the country, dropped from 100 to 98.8 in the last month on worries about the economy and fears of a recession, pollster John Zogby said."Since the last time we polled we have had the mortgage crisis, and we are hearing the recession word a whole lot more than we've heard it in the past," Zogby said.

A score above 100 indicates the country's mood has improved since July. A score below 100, like the one recorded in September, shows the nation's mood getting worse.

I suspect a lot of people think their Congressperson is just fine. It's the rest of Congress that they think should get tossed out. It may just be the "institution" of government that angers people."

Thompkins suggests that covering how local readers feel about government would be worthwhile, given current market conditions.

Zogby calls the country's mood darker than dark.

Would you agree?

Comments

[Jimbo]

What does this have to do with your newspaper and its coverage as your blog title implies??

[beachguy]

I can see the public retaliating. The protest in Jena is only the start. Political leaders have become non-responsive..thinking they know whats best for the children (voters). this is the same attitude the politcal leaders had in the 60's. Voters will find leaders "outside" of the system as in the 1960's. Politicans won't wake up until the wave of new protests coming generate new political leaders; then it will be too late. In the 1960's it started with protests about racial inequality,it grew to War protestors...and eventually the mainstream population protested.Even the Labor Union movement got stronger.

Political leaders from Liz Gilland (who thinks she is queen over the flock)to George Bush have lost touch with the voters,they pander to friends and outside interests instead of to the voters....America is ripe for a repeat of the 1960's.

[John]

It is amazing that you and your "industry" don't see that it is your coverage of "the news" that is, in my humble opinion, the very cause for the so-called darker than dark mood. Every story must be about some "crisis" or another, or some catastrophe somewhere at the tail end of the earth. Do you think that is the only thing that sells newspapers? Get out of the damn 18'th century and take some reponsibility for crying out loud! For example, today's editorial stated that the "taxpayers" were left "holding the bag" to the tune of $1.25 million when the Butterfly Pavilion went under because there was a USDA loan guarantee in place on that project. Did anyone call the USDA to confirm that bit of garbage? If you had, you would have learned that as the result of the funds generated by the foreclosure sale, together with a personal guarantee by a high net-worth individual, the USDA wasn't out a single dime! Either get right with the facts or get out! You people are frankly pathetic.

[beachguy(original)]

John..it wasnt the USDA loan....It was the 911 disaster loan through the SBA they were talking about....Too bad some people can't read the paper they complain about

[Bob]

I agree with beachguy. Political leaders are so out of touch with voters it makes you numb. It runs through all levels of government. One day we'll look in the dictionary and see: politician....a self-serving individual, the opposite of representation.

[Timmah]

Boring.

[Catherine Wray]

I am truely concerned for the future of this country. What about basic human rights suspenion here in New York City. What do you do when there have been indications that you have been exploited in the media and can not get assiatance from authorities. Cathywraynyc@aol.com