The Edwards/Hunter Affair: Glorifying the Offenders, Humiliating the Victims

This morning while driving into work, I was listening to my favorite talk radio show. The topic was John Edwards and the latest information on his affair. After five days of non-stop coverage, I was sick to death of hearing even more (and I know that we're not done yet with new revelations). So I called in to voice a differing opinion about the story. What I got was so unexpected I actually wrote the radio station. And here's an excerpt of what I said:

I called your show this morning to voice my opinion on why I felt the media was handling the Edwards/Hunter affair so poorly. I expressed my disappointment that the media was glorifying John Edwards and his mistress at the expense of his wife and children. What I got was a tongue-lashing from both of you, defending the media's right to cover news stories of interest to the public, and using the it's-not-my-fault argument to justify your presentation of the story. While it undoubtedly made for a good listen to your audience, you didn't get the direction I was going. So I'd like to elaborate.

First, let me clarify that I'm a strong conservative and have been so for years. I'm not a liberal "plant" trying to stir up a ruckus on your show or for your station. Second, let's all admit that talk radio is an entertainment medium, as you both have stated on several occasions. I expect talk radio to op-ed every story that comes across the desk. Therefore, my comments on-air were not directed at talk radio in general, or at you in particular. Maybe I should have clarified my position by using terms like "journalistic media" or "mainstream media" to differentiate between what you do and what organizations like the AP or CNN or Fox News do. I will use those terms here.

My grievance is with the way the mainstream media puts the focus on Edwards and his mistress with no thought of how their coverage will affect the victims, Edwards' wife, children, family, and friends. What the two of them did was immoral to say the least, with possible illegal ramifications. Yet the media treats both as their personal little darlings, taking the latest information about the tryst and lovingly dissecting it down to the smallest possible sound bite and video blurb. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Edwards and her children have to relive their pain and shame with every new broadcast.

This is just the latest incident in a long line of situations where the media glorifies the perpetrator while further victimizing the victim. Whether it's a political figure, a religious leader, a Hollywood star, or a murderer on death row, the mainstream media loves to coddle the bad guy. It's one thing to allow that a person is innocent until proven guilty; it's another to use publicity to gloss over or even celebrate a person's actions to make the offense less offensive and more accepted. Meanwhile, the people these individuals have hurt continue to have their wounds opened again and again with no opportunity to heal.

The media claims it's only reporting the truth, giving the people what they want. Spare me. The truth has been out there since last fall when the National Enquirer first broke the story. Nobody bothered to touch the truth until a week ago, and now suddenly they can't get enough of the truth. Some claim political reasons for the story not being researched before now; others say because the Enquirer published the story first that nobody took the accusations seriously. I don't care either way. All I know is that the media is now using Edwards' infidelity to milk out every dime they can for their various organizations, and Elizabeth Edwards and her children are paying for it. Sadly, it is something that our scandal-starved public does crave.

The reason I called your show this morning, gentlemen, was to suggest that we stop treating these individuals as celebrities or even heroes. Report the facts, but don't turn the offender into a media hero. Show more concern for the victim, whose only crime was to cross paths with a jackass. And remember, you can dress up a pile of crap all you want, but in the end, it's still a pile of crap.

If I get any response from the station, I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, feel free to voice your opinion on the topic.