An Election Eve poem

Sure, why not?

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, a poem about the last four years and media. 

Twas the night before the election, when all through the land

Everyone was nervous, every woman and man;

The last four years has put stress on us all

And the media, too, has had its stumbles and falls.

The Trump administration has lied with glee

Telling the most fibs in presidential history.

And the press played its part in amplifying untruths

While social platforms divided us by pushing Fake News.

And yes there have been important investigations

That have shined a light on this administration’s fabrications.

But many have argued that it’s taken too long

For the political press to change its song.

Even today we play false equivalencies

When it’s clear there should be no ambivalencies.

But it should be said that this was Trump’s plan

To flood the zone with shit, according to Steve Bannon

On the business side, things continue to crater

As revenue has evaporated like steam from a radiator.

A pandemic forced everyone inside

So the pivot to events can’t really materialize.

And as ad rates continue to plummet

The hope of ad tech was to serve as a grommet.

But coming regulation and the death of the cookie

Has the industry shaking like a droid running into a Wookiee

Layoffs have wiped many of us out

At least for those of us who have no clout.

Some are doing A-Ok

Hopping on Substack, they can pave their way. 

The last four years has been a dizzying display

Of trying to keep up while keeping the demons at bay

But institutions have crumbled and norms have been shattered

And we’ll find out in the coming weeks to see what really matters.

So here we sit on this eve of a vote

Tense and nervous, all in the same boat.

And try to breathe, and remember it’s darkest before it’s light

So Happy Democracy to all, and to all a good night!

Thank you for allowing me in your inbox, today and every day. (And for indulging me in a little experiment.) If you have tips, thoughts on the newsletter, or want to send me a poem, drop me a line. Or you can follow me on Twitter. If you haven’t already, please vote (safely) tomorrow. 

Simon and Garfunkel, “America”

Some interesting links:

For tips on getting through the next 24-48 hours:

• A safe, sane way to navigate election night – and beyond (Axios)

• A great 2015 piece (and very relevant) on how to be a good internet citizen during breaking news (Wired)

• Even the WayBack machine is appending fact-check labels (Gizmodo)

For media outlook:

• It’s the End of an Era for the Media, No Matter Who Wins the Election (NYT)

• Election Day will be the media’s D-Day. The skill we need most is the one we’ve never mastered. (Washington Post)

For platforms

• Judge blocks Trump administration’s TikTok ban (MediaPost)

• QAnon received earlier boosts from Russian accounts on Twitter, archives show (Reuters)

• Chris Christie makes Cameo video for Montana Democrat (by mistake) (NYT)

For TV buyers:

• TV’s most expensive shows this season (Ad Age)

For publishers:

• Why CNN’s Great Big Story failed to survive (Digiday)

• The Atlantic retracts Ruth Shalit Barrett story (Washington Post)

For delivery during postal problems:

• Amazon plans for rural deliveries amid Postal Service problems (The Information)