What does it take to be a success in the media today, in politics specifically?

A pretty face, photogenic hair, botox, a great PR firm, an ability to get people all fired up without actually saying anything, LOTS of money, and a non-rebellious nuclear family.

Shrill, unreasoning, platitudinous platform based on Nativism and raw anger.

LMAO @dpworkin !! : )

I guess it depends on how you value or define “success”. Do you mean “to be a good journalist”? Or do you mean “to make a lot of money”? Or “to be famous”?

Why don’t you say what “success” means to you so that we have a better idea of how to answer seriously (if anyone is going to step up to do that). Your question, as worded, doesn’t seem very serious—which makes me wonder if you could even get your foot in the door “in the media”. (It might be good to know what medium you have in mind, too: print news? television news? film star? adult model?

Whatcha got in mind, toots?

Depends on the audience. The Public Broadcasting Service requires intelligence and education. Trash tv requires shrill ignorance.

Money. In this case, it buys everything else.

@CyanoticWasp
I suppose the question was week, it was based on the two stereo types I hear the most. Specifically, a liberal biased media or a conservative hate fest as I heard it used one time. I made up the sensationalism myself after reading a lot of conservative posts that take a jab at another by disguising it as an irrelevant question or off hand comment to which the other must completely ignore if he is to stay on topic. It was just a sort of poll to see what was out there.

The ability to touch your toes, if you can palm the floor you can be President.

That could be funny or lewd Cruiser. You made me smile.

To be successful in politics? I think it’s a combination of someone having no morals and ethics, the ability to tell lies successfully under any kinds of conditions, being greedy is a must, and having no conscience or a sense of right and wrong is beneficial also.

Cleavage and an intellect. That sort of head start is hard for your competition to overcome

You’re already in a relationship fraught with intrigue and infidelity, so you’ve got that going for you.~

Charisma, good looks and contraversial opinions.

I don’t think anyone has any idea what makes someone successful in the media. It doesn’t make any sense.

At all.

@noyesa I don’t think anyone has any idea what makes someone successful in the media. It doesn’t make any sense.

As someone who has spent much of my life in media and a lot of it in close contact with politicians, I can assure that it is all puff and nonsense. What makes for success is how a person is perceived to be, not how they are. That has no exceptions in the modern world. Sort of like pathetic pop songs that only sell because of the video clips – on their own people would turn them off, not buy them.

@DarkScribe Haha, all too true. Seems like a couple times a year, I’ll hear a song on a pop radio station and declare aloud for all to hear “This is rock bottom. It’s never going to get any worse than this.” Then I heard a song by Ke$ha and the cycle repeats itself. I don’t really think the record executives take this crap seriously. They just know they can sell it.

You have gotta go along to get along.
Also pass the bong.

There are places with substance if you look for them, and good interviews. I can’t just throw it out all together. I think it’s throwing the baby out with the bath water. I’m upset that I have to stumble upon them by accident.

I think someone like William F. Buckley or Garrison Keillor will always be successful eventually. (WFB not just because he was conservative, but because he was a gentleman, a wit, and a joy to listen to, but because he was so damned intelligent. And by the same token, GK not because of his politics, but because he’s every bit as intelligent, witty and humorous as Buckley was.) The problem is that it might take longer for that to happen these days because people seem to value more style over that kind of substance.

I think I’d be a fan of anyone who modeled him or herself along those lines. (And they’re not the only ones, but the best examples I could think of right now, because I don’t watch much television because I don’t see those examples on TV nowadays.)

“I will not insult your intelligence by suggesting that you actually believe what you just said.”
-William F. Buckley Jr.