it's the story, stupid

The story of the drug cartels in Mexico is too complex for mainstream journalism. The story of the Tea Party works fine.

"What little we know cannot be explained in print media’s standard 800 words or less (or broadcast’s two minutes or under). And the story, like the murders, is endlessly repetitive and confusing ... The absence of understanding of these surface narratives is what keeps the story static, and readers feeling impotent."

Alma Guillermoprieto, 'The Murderers of Mexico'

"When attention is scarce and there are many choices, media costs something other than money. It costs interesting. If you are angry or remarkable or an outlier, you're interesting, and your idea can spread ... Thus, as media moves from TV-driven to attention-driven, we're going to see more outliers, more renegades and more angry people driving agendas and getting elected."

Seth Godin, 'How Media changes Politics'