NYTimes.Com: Fiscal Reporting Falls Off a Cliff

Kaitlyn Crist
Kaitlyn.Crist@gmail.com
@Kaitlyn_Crist

Washington Pulling a "Thelma and Louise" 

With the "fiscal cliff" looming, it is the biggest political story since the election.

There web is plastered with stories about the U.S. falling off a metaphorical cliff and plunging into unknowable finical uncertainty.

But is there a serious threat, or is most of this just hype? Is there truth to the gloom and doom associated with the cliff?

A Dramatic Twist 

On NYTimes.com, the politics section is covered with stories of the lack of compromise in Washington, and how the cliff is too fast approaching with no solution to be found.

The headline of the NYT fiscal cliff blog

The Times is referring to the negotiations as a "showdown" with the fate of America on the line.

One of the more outrageous ploys to create fiscal cliff hype is the title of an opinion blog - calling it "Debt Reckoning." Making the impending cliff sound like a day at the guillotine for America.

The only story on the site that even manages to relieve the stress of the end of the tax break is a post on the blog called If Deal Is Not Reached, the Impact Won't Be Instant.

The blog recognizes that there will be an impact if a deal is not reached by Jan. 1, 2013, but that the whole government system won't shut down.

As Clear as Mud

Something I would hope the media would do is make the fiscal cliff negations more clear.

A political cartoon poking fun at the fiscal cliff hype
Photo Credit, Dave Granlund

What exactly is this cliff? What negations need to be made? What really will happen if a deal is not reached?

I would like to see more facts, and less about the bickering between the left and right.

Leave the hype stories to grocery store magazines, and lets focus on the facts.

Because the government won't shut down if we fly off this "cliff."

Less hype more facts. It's our responsibility.