I was reflecting again this weekend on an interview segment with President Obama that aired on “60 Minutes” two weeks ago. Close in the wake of the “You lie!” incident, interviewer Steve Kroft noted the shrill level of discourse that has surrounded the debate over healthcare reform. Kroft wanted to know President Obama’s take on this now infamous moment of Congressional heckling – which came to represent the epitome of our national failure to have a sincere, thoughtful dialogue about a high-stakes issue for all Americans.
I was particularly struck by one of Obama’s responses to Kroft, which is why the interview remains top of mind. He said: “How do we make civility interesting?” He cited the “24-hour cable news environment” and noted that the shrillest voices are now the ones most likely to be heard. You don’t have to work in PR or be a student of the media landscape to feel the truth in that observation.
