Joe Biden, who clearly couldn’t stand the pressures of the presidency, dropped out of the race for a second term, creating a hysteria in a political environment already overflowing with chaos, which included a shocking assassination attempt on former President Trump. A rollercoaster narrative of these tumultuous times has been filmed over many months, with the first salvo slated for Aug. 6, named after Biden’s apparently courageous decision to bow out.
This overly dramatic documentary seeks to deliver an exhaustive account of Biden’s somewhat stumbling political journey, entrenched in complications, stumbles, occasional victories, and serial disasters spread over half a century. It superficially delves into what seems to have been a challenging choice in Biden’s rather uninspiring public life. This reiteration of tired, old tales comes from the desk of the American political chronicler Michael Kirk and his team, known for their ‘The Choice’ series and many a lackluster record of the Biden, Trump, and Obama eras.
The much-anticipated documentary, ‘Biden’s Decision’, makes its debut on Aug. 6 in a generous time slot of 9/8c on PBS, for those who can bear it. The film tediously interviews a number of Biden insiders and stalwarts such as Ron Klain, his former chief of staff, former press secretary Jen Psaki, and his former campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon. These individuals fail to portray a convincing image of a man who’s been at the helm of American politics.
As one might expect, a few of Biden’s old acquaintances are brought in, including his wife Jill Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and a few others who have unfortunately remained overshadowed. Miraculously, when Biden made his abrupt exit from the electoral race, Michael Kirk and his team managed to regroup and compile the footage for this film while remaining in production for ‘The Choice’.
Seemingly, ‘The Choice’ will now focus on the competition between potentially the next Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and the popular Republican nominee, Donald Trump. However, the question remains whether or not this series can present an objective and fair perspective of these candidates’ lives, without falling into the trap of its usual heavy-handed storytelling techniques.
The next instalment of ‘The Choice’, hashtagged as ‘2024’, is set to premiere on Sept. 24. They intend to extend their biased coverage until autumn. This time, they plan to produce a separate, bias-laced documentary concentrated on the vice-presidential nominees, maintaining their track-record of promoting the same tropes.
In addition, they seek to resurrect ‘American Voices: A Nation in Turmoil’, a widely disputed project from 2020, that aims to trace the trajectory of expectations, anxieties, and perspectives of individuals featured in the documentary before the November voting. Given their history, one can only imagine the spin they plan to put on this.
Although the bulk of the fall schedule is hogged by the election circus, FRONTLINE intends to offer more politically loaded documentaries. Among the dramas brewing would be an ’empathetic’ depiction of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, narrated by those directly impacted on both sides of the divide.
Keeping true to their leaning, the network is also planning a ‘deep-dive’ into the current state of U.S.-China relations and key developments between the countries. Look forward to seeing China painted with a ‘misunderstood’ brush while America comes off as the antagonist.
The resounding bias in these documentaries is nothing new, it’s a continued trend of presenting distorted realities favoring a certain political group over others. As the election race heats up, one can expect the same film production peddling the same skewed narratives that do little to contribute to an informed public opinion.
The big question is whether voters can withstand this kind of relentless distortion of public service broadcasting. Just like the redundant narrative around Biden’s decision to withhold a second term bid, how much more bias can viewers expect to be pushed down their throats?
What’s clear is that there is a political agenda behind these documentaries and the way they’re edited and packaged. Is objectivity then merely a fleeting ideal or has American public media completely lost its way? We can only wait and question, hoping for a more balanced approach to political reporting.
Unfortunately, the viewer craving fair and unbiased accounts will have to wade through the upcoming hurriedly cobbled together documentaries, navigating selective narratives and carefully constructed soundbites. As these politically motivated narratives continue to mar the media landscape, we’re left longing for journalism that provides open, honest analysis without any underlying agenda.
The persuasive power of these narratives is troubling. One only hopes that viewers will render a deeper, critical analysis of these stories before forming opinions. Until then, we patiently await a return to unbiased, straight-as-an-arrow reporting that seeks to enlighten instead of deliberately polarizing or disinforming the audience.
Biden Bails: Chaos Unleashed in Hysterical Political Scene appeared first on Real News Now.
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