Sarah Palin in the Post-Election Media

Sarah Palin has been one of the campaign’s most controversial figures from when she was chosen as McCain’s vice presidential nominee. Even though the campaign has been concluded, some Republicans blame Palin for the defeat, while others suggest that she has a potentially strong political future.

-The Huffington Post often dealt with the infighting in the Republican Party
* This story dealt with Palin’s response to criticisms; while it sharply crticizies Palin’s critics, it also shows Palin as angry herself. The article did not go as much into the origins of the misunderstandings as the Washington Post article does, and spends a fair amount of time talking about the clothing.
* This article, cited by the Washington Post’s Reliable Sources column, continues the site’s almost absurd obsession with Palin’s wardrobe, long past when it stopped being relevant.

-The Washington Post effectively helped readers understand Palin.
* This article effectively showcased what Palin was doing in the aftermath of the election.
* This article cast light on some of the disputed comments, helping readers to understand

-Fox alternated between being very supportive of Palin and criticizing her.
*Fox’s Political Grapevine was almost completely approving of Palin, suggesting that she still maintained her fame despite having lost, and did not go into any of the infighting.
*The Carl Cameron report features anonymous reports criticizing Palin’s performance by McCain campaign officials who suggest Palin was unprepared for public appearances and blamed others for it. Many of the stories are not especially newsworthy, as they reveal little about her political knowledge or even about her character, and merely show embarrassing moments for her. Using exclusively anonymous sources was another problem, as there is no way of verifying whether any of this is true, and doing so potentially amounts to allowing McCain supporters to attack Palin without any repercussions rather than performing real journalism.

While Palin has often been discussed in the media, the discussion has rarely been substantial. The media should focus less on what clothes Palin buys or the minor gaffes she makes on the spot, and focus more on what kind of politician- and person- Palin is. The Washington Post is closer than most in this regard, but most news outlets generally have some ways to go before they can be anywhere near ideal in their reporting on this subjects.