Could the Media Derail Health Care Reform?

By Niko Karvounis, Health Beat. Posted January 7, 2009.

In terms of politics, there's also good reason to believe that we won't see a total replay of the '90s. Back in 1993, conservatives were on the verge of a major revolution. The health care debate was just as much about Republicans' newfound clout as it was about that particular battle. In contrast, today's GOP is on the verge of dissolution, meaning that at least one high-drama political narrative is no longer relevant.

Another factor is that, for the most part, the American people want Obama to succeed. They want change, and health care reform is one of their top priorities. Yes, this confidence could mean that voters will be more easily let down when things don't go as planned; but it could also mean that people are willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. If support for Obama remains high, two things are possible. First, opponents of reform may be quickly cowed, thus saving some of the political clashes that would distract the media; and/or second, the media may simply feel that it's not good business to fan flames of controversy when the public is invested in success. Either way, public enthusiasm dulls the shock value of political sniping.

In the meantime, the health analysts of the wonk world are going to have to speak out louder than ever and not be afraid of holding the media's feet to the fire when it comes to policy issues. Media-watchdog operations should make an effort to incorporate reviews of health care policy reporting in their work. Third-party health care policy fact-checking is going to become more important than ever. Further, journalists who do know how to report on policy should lead seminars for those that don't, and foundations and other organizations should be convening these sorts of events regularly. Our best bet is to put the media through a sort of health care policy boot camp, and soon. We want to do all we can to make sure that policy is in the front of reporters' minds as health care reform plays out.

Granted, the media will never ignore a partisan dustup, and the more political health care reform gets, the more this sort of popcorn fare becomes a possibility. But if the media draw attention away from policy when reform is under way, it obscures the issues at a most critical time: when policy is actually being made. Our goal as a civil society and, more fundamentally, as a group of people whose health care system may well be rebuilt, is to make sure that titillation doesn't trump the issues.

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Niko Karvounis is a program officer with the Century Foundation in New York City, where he works on issues of socioeconomic inequality and health care. He is a regular contributor to Health Beat, the Foundation’s health care blog.

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