When the going gets tough for your candidate or pet issue there is always the convient punching bag of the media. As a Barack Obama supporter I have found myself shaking my head in frustration as I listen to the pundits and experts, talking back to them as if they might respond. "Wright again!?! Elitist!?! Really, are you serious?" Anyone who follows politics has had these moments which usually end with a throwing up of the hands and placing blame on the "damn media". If only they could see the truth and not play into whoever's handbook is your sworn advesary, things would be right in the universe and we could start solving the problems. It's not the heat we can't stand, it's the design of the kitchen. As convienent as this accusation might be, it underscores a larger problem which noone wants to address, let alone a politician, because it screams elitism. The fact is Americans, for the most part, are illiterate.

While attending college, where arugala was NOT served in the dining hall, there was a new campaign initiated by the university president which was to be intigrated into all course work. They called it information literacy and for the most part it was scoffed at by many including some professors. The aim had been to teach students in an age of so many media outlets to discern the context of the information they recieved and used in study, research and their everyday lives. At first I was a skepitic too, believing college was a place where those tools should already be hand and there were other more pressing issues facing students. Then I slowly realized those trips to the library in elementary school didn't sink in for most. Many students, liberal and conservative alike, took stock in a few sources and couldn't differientiate between opinion and fact, peer reviewed and an article written in someones mother's basement. It was this discovery that has led me to stop myself and take a breath whenever I get in a media-bashing state of mind. While the media may of put ratings before even handed journalism, there is a wealth of resources available today unlike any other time in history. As the X-Files so elequently said- the truth is out there. The problem is sometimes you have to take the time to find it.

At this point I doubt I have squashed the idea this is elitist thinking. Who has the time to research issues such as how a gas tax hoilday would actually influence long term gas prices, supply and demand and the opinions of leading economists? Isn't that the media's job, the one you already said does a lousy job most of the time? This gets down to kitchen design and becomes an arguement of respondsibility. As an exercise lets use this article as example and travel through time to a future where I the author am running for dogcatcher. An old blog posting is unearthed and the headlines shout: Barnaby Calls Americans Illiterate! What an elitist! While over the course of the twenty-four hour news cycle there will be those who come to my defense, the fact will remain a single quote will stay in the banner beneath the talking heads declaring "America the Illiterate?" and most will form an opinion on preconcieved notions. Chances are few will actually take the time to read the actual post and any other writing to confirm or deny the accusations even though its readily available. Arugala WAS served at his college dining hall! Information literacy is about getting to the truth of the matter, or as close as possible, without relying on a single source. It's about the utilization of our connected world. Unfortunately few are doing so.

The media has become a crutch, allowing political strategies which prey on misinformation and a suppression of frank political discussions based on the weighing of evidence. This is not to deny the media's role in informing the public, but they are only serving what Americans are willing to digest. And as far as time goes, we all know the amount of time spent on the internet, watching television and playing the newest Grand Theft Auto game. The internet allows for the absorbtion of many facts and opinions in a short amount of time, allowing for a more informed public. Of course there will be disagreements and the distortion of facts, politics will still get ugly at times, but the control will be in the publics hands and the use of media as manipulation will be a harder game to play.

But don't take my word for it...and I hope you don't.