Andrei Cherny suggests that, in addition to reading from revered historic documents on the 9/11 anniversary, politicians find their own words to mark the day and rally the nation. Why can’t New York Gov. George Pataki (who will recite Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address), or New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey (who will read from the Declaration of Independence), or New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who will recount Franklin Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms) deliver a message for ages–one that will stand with the best of Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt? I think one answer to that question is this: We the people have low expectations of our leaders partially created by a media environment that treats leaders as schemers rather than public servants with honorable motives.
The Rhetorica Network
I offer commentary on the rhetoric of the American conversation, especially as it unfolds in documentary film, the news media, and politics. Check out my feeds on Twitter and Instagram. Also be sure to see my work at Carbon Trace Productions, a non-profit documentary film studio in Springfield, Missouri. I am a Professor of Media & Journalism at Missouri State University. I teach classes in mobile journalism and documentary filmmaking.
Archives (incomplete)
Carbon Trace Productions
Meta