Washington Post reporter Perry Bacon argues that media focus on Tiger Woods and the Salahis does not distract from more important issues:

Perry Bacon Jr.: I would submit most Americans can follow Tiger, the Salahis, health care and Afghanistan in the same week. It's not that complicated. I think most people aren't following the date to date details of health care because it's fairly complicated and some of it (the abortion language in the bill) won't affect them. But my guess is everywhere in America people know about Tiger, the White House dinner controvery and that the president is increasing troops in Afghanistan.

Bacon more or less rebuts himself, but it's worth piling on for a moment.

Just this morning, Bacon's Post colleague Ezra Klein noted that two-thirds of Americans don't think they could explain what the public option is, which is probably lower than the number who could not explain it. (I do not find this surprising. Not one bit. And it is, in large part, a result of the media doing an abysmal job of explaining health care.)

As Klein added:

And so far as health-care reform goes, the public option is fairly simple, and undeniably prominent. Imagine how many could explain the exchanges, or the mandate, or the benefit package ...

But Bacon seems to be satisfied if people have a passing, superficial awareness of issues. Look at his last sentence: “people know ... that the president is increasing troops in Afghanistan.” Ok, but what do people know about the fact that he is doing so? Do they know why? Do they know how? Do they have any understanding of the pros and cons of the decision? Probably not.

But, it's true that, if you think that all the public needs to know is “health care is being debated” or “the president is sending more troops to Afghanistan,” the news media does a reasonably good job of keeping them informed.