Author Jeffrey Feldman nails one of America’s main problems, the re-emergence of yellow journalism:

Most of us probably cannot remember the last time we debated, let alone acted upon, a national issue devoid of yellow politics.

Taxes? Tea Party! Health care? Nazi extermination! Environment? Global conspiracy! Afghanistan?  Collusion with terrorists!  Education? War on Christmas! Economy?  Socialist takeover! Manufacturing?  Communist takeover!  Family? Homosexual takeover! Urban planning? Muslim terrorists! And on, and on.  There is no end to this new run of yellow politics. And as a result, we have become a nation that does nothing — a nation that can do nothing, apparently, but keep churning through yellow stories.

From Wikipedia, “yellow journalism” is:

a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism. By extension “Yellow Journalism” is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion.