Diebold admitted yesterday that their software makes it very easy to delete ballots. Apparently this is something they have been aware of for years. Oh, and it's not Diebold anymore, it's Premier Election Solutions - I'm sure that's a PR move. You can read the Wired story by clicking above - no point in me rehashing the details.
I don't care what your political affiliation is, this is not good news. It's horrible news. For everyone.
And the other horrible news is that without online media, like Wired and blogs, apparently this could have gone unreported. At least that's how it seems to me. I did a quick search and found no indication that any traditional media has bothered to report the story.
Headline News is telling me right now what the weather is in Fargo. It's not that I don't care about snow melting in Fargo, but the fact that our entire democratic process has been in the hands of people who knew their software was flawed, would seem worthy of at least a crawl while I hear about rain in Rochester. The closest I can come is DC will be sunny on Friday, and that's the host's mother's birthday. This followed by a report on American Idol.
I am so disgusted with my former profession. I swear, when I was working as a journalist, this would never have passed muster. I don't think I ever did a single story about a celebrity, unless it was someone we had interviewed. I mean, I can just watch American Idol. I don't need a report on it.
A free press is essential to a free nation - I'm sure of that. But our traditional free press is lacking these days. Very lacking. When I don't see a story about something this major I know things are very bad.
I guess they'll eventually read the blogs and catch on something is happening and do a story about it, pretending it's hot news then. But it's not. While they were reporting on Adam and Anoop, the news that our voting system is in danger became old news. Disgusting.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Traditional Media Fails. Again.
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2 comments:
I share your outrage. I, too, am glad I am out of the business, though I was on the TV news side. Back when I was in it, (cue the squeaking of the rocking chair), it seemed to be regarded as a public service. Now, it's all about ratings.
I'm waiting to see if the story ever crops up in traditional media. I'm guessing it will eventually and then they'll pretend it's hot news. They wonder why I don't use traditional media - because they don't cover news while it's news. I'm pissed about AIG too... trust me, I am... but the fact that every election using this software is potentially flawed seems like a bigger story to me. You know... democracy in peril... seems important to me.
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