Having worked in television news for several years in a past life, it makes me (so) mad when I hear television news personalities use subjective terms to describe various people, situations, events, etc. Since we’re in the heat of a presidential election, this phenomenon is now being applied most to those running for president (and vice president).

For example, today Joe Biden criticized Sarah Palin for her stand against stem cell research, implying that such research could help cure diseases like Down syndrome, which Palin’s youngest child has been diagnosed with.

Larry King, on his show (entitled “Palin: Fact vs. Fiction) tossed to break saying, “Joe Biden makes some controversial comments about Sarah Palin.” They’re only controversial because Larry says they’re controversial. To most reasonable observers, Biden’s comments would simply be factual. Way to separate fact from fiction Larry.

Similarly, Barack Obama called out Palin and McCain for their specious claims about the Bridge to Nowhere, and Anderson Cooper teases his show by saying, “Did Obama go too far?” Most reasonable people probably wouldn’t have thought so, but thanks anyway Coop.

My advice to the media: when there are facts to support one side or the other (like there’s video of Palin saying she supports the Bridge before she came out against it), flip those attention grabbing teases around. Instead of saying, “Did Obama got too far” say something like, “Did Obama go far enough? We’ll show you Palin in her own words and you decide?”

It’s time the media stop trying to make up our minds and let us decide for ourselves.