CQ Reports On Blogosphere Campaign Against Media Bias of AP's Nedra Pickler
By Nicole Belle Thursday Feb 28, 2008 8:16pmI believe in the democratizing power of the internet. Every week I bring to your attention various campaigns going on at the grassroots level and encourage involvement and activism. It may not always achieve the results we seek as quickly as we'd like, but here's a story that John mentioned earlier that proves that your activism does get noticed and does make an impact.
Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher has launched an email campaign directed to local and national newspapers against the Associated Press' Nedra Pickler, for her recent story documenting conservative attacks questioning Barack Obama's patriotism. Ultimately, I think Pickler's story was one worth reporting, but as TPM notes, the first source in her story is Roger Stone, a disgraced former GOP strategist who has been in the news lately for less-than-savory antics. It's also not the first time liberal bloggers have turned their sights on Pickler.
It was pretty much world-record speed with which the smears against Barack Obama's patriotism alley-ooped from the right wing attack machine into the pages of legitimate media, neatly laundered into the AP by Nedra Pickler.
Way to go, Jane! She told me that there was an astounding 12,000 letters sent to 620 newspapers in all 50 states. Amazing work. Think that doesn't get noticed? Christy continues:
Successful pushback means we need to cover every base, not just the prominant ones, so we are asking you for a little more help today. If you haven't yet written letters -- especially if you live in OH, PA, FL, NM, CO...pretty much any swing state -- please write one to your local newspapers today. It's very easy to do using our handy contact tool.
And now, you can use this new link to send the letter tool to friends, family, neighbors -- whomever you think might also be interested in sending a letter telling local newspapers that using AP feed to launder pre-fabricated GOP talking points is not acceptable and not news. And you are not willing to simply look the other way.
A number of our readers have already contacted us to say their Letters to the Editor are being published this week. Fantastic job! If you've already written letters, please check the contact tool to see if perhaps you missed a local paper or two. Every letter counts!
We've tried to come up with ways to make this as easy and user-friendly as possible for you to take action. All it requires of you is to act. The time to stand up for better reporting -- and accountability when it is done badly -- is now. Please write...today!
Make your voice heard. It matters.
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O.K.
O.K.
IMPEACH
CHENEY
FIRST!
DO
BUSH
SECOND!!
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LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iup78Rprvlk
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McTitforTat believes in the power of lobbyists
Hannity and Jonah Goldberg have repeatedly said that there must be some connection to Bill Ayers former weather underground in the 60s and lives in the same neighborhood as Obama because they know each other. I hope that C&L can do a follow up on the story.
I fully believe in emails. And snail mail. Firedoglake’s newspaper email tool makes it very easy. Do it and do it often. It is so easy. And you can do it over and over if you think they are not reading them.
Max-1 @ 1:
You cant. Mukassy (sp) wont enforce subpoenas or contempt charges - he just said so. Bush has been immunized.
No one from this point on that has had any contact with the administration needs to pay any attention to congressional subpoenas.
We are done folks.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080301/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/congress_contempt
I said from the beginning that they should never approve him.
Having read the Pickler story, I found that it at least debunked the smears and gave the other side. Having said that, she's a typical beltway reporter that rarely fails to do the false balance routine and acts as a megaphone for right wing smear and innuendo.
If you really want an example of Corporate Media bias at the AP check out this story:
Dems take McCain out of context on Iraq
Fact Check: Democrats Take McCain's Remark on Iraq Out of Context
Staff
AP News
Feb 29, 2008 13:04 EST
http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Dems_take_McCain_out_of_context_on_...
The truth is, McCain did say that he would stay in Iraq for 100 years. Of course he didn't say that we'd be at war for 100 years, but if he has his way, we'll be occupying that country for decades to come.
Remember, it's an occupation, not a war. The right wing wants a permanent military presence in Iraq. We lose the battle of defining the debate when we call it a war and concede the framing of the issue to Republicans.
Notice how the above article carefully parses out McCain's statement and Democratic criticisms. McCain needs to be attacked for calling for a permanent occupation.
McCain needs to be attacked on the economy as well. And his age. Way too old. Way!!
anon @ 6:
Incorrect.
Impeachment hearings/investigations ARE the only avenue to compel Mukasey, Bush, Cheney, et.al to testify.
As far as Meirs and Bolton go, Inherent Contempt with arrests by the Sargent at Arms should do the trick. IT CAN BE DONE!
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Also, we miss the boat when we allow the Bush regime, the Republican party and the Corporate Media to refer to the group "al Qaida in Iraq" as al Qaida (as in Osama bin Laden's organization). The two are not the same. There is no al Qaida active in Iraq, there never was. The small group that dubbed itself "al Qaida in Iraq" is only loosely associated with al Qaida and it is doubtful they have any operational ties. They also only ever represented a very small faction of the insurgency.
anon @ 7:
Here's the kicker...
Which Bush appointed Federal Judge does Pelosi and Conyers suggest would be the most fair and ballanced?
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Max-1 @ 12:
The problem is investigation. Bush has now been firewalled by Mukasey. A process can continue, but unless the capital police can enforce inherent contempt (I doubt it), the subpoenas will be ignored, and Bush will walk.
Sorry Nicole, not trying to highjack your post, but this is happening now - after closing on the east coast on friday night on February 29 - leap year. It is profound and it is buried.
Pickler deserved to get nailed for that. She deserves credit for her
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080229/ap_on_el_pr/texas_primary_and_caucus....
None of the liberal blogs would address the strategy of winning in the red states, the difference between caucus and primary states, or the difference republican votes in dem primaries made. So, the 'progressive'/ liberal blogs need to get their house in order if their intent is to really inform the voters, and before they call others to task..
Yes all of this bull shit will continue but guess what folks?, it's not working and as a matter of fact, the more they play these silly games, the more support Senator Obama gets and this is very evident in the number of supporters he is getting.
We almost want to tell them to bring us more and as a matter of fact, I think we should.
Ha ha, her name is Nedra Pickler.
ken melvin @ 17:
What's your point? You don't really seem to have one, nor have you addressed the right wing bias in the Corporate Media.
"Firedoglake’s Jane Hamsher has launched an email campaign directed to local and national newspapers against the Associated Press’ Nedra Pickler, for her recent story documenting conservative attacks questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism."
This matter is symptomatic of a framing of the issue problem. We have to start taking a page out of the Republican play book and start framing the issue, namely patriotism. The Republicans want to confine patriotism to flag waving.
Is one who is an economic traitor, patriotic? Is one who lied about a national security threat in order to get the nation into war with Iraq, patriotic? Is it the patriotic thing to do in running up the deficits, and then borrowing large sums from China, giving a communist country economic leverage over the U.S.? Is it patriotic to undermine the American constitution? Can a politician, owned by multi-national corporations, with substantial foreign investment possibly be loyal to the U.S. and therefore considered patriotic?
Flag waving is symbolic, support of the constitution is where the beef is. We can give the Republicans a lot more than they bargained for, if we don't let them frame the issue. Best defense in this case is offense - let's frame the issue ourselves and start posing the questions. We have to use this approach on every issue.
When I hear of the radio host Cunningham trying to make an issue out of Obama's name, and Limbaugh with the song "Barack The Magic Negro", the Republicans are short on the issues. So-ooo, we gotta keep the focus on the issues. The Republicans, back in 2004, managed to shift the focus from Iraq to Kerry and Vietnam in October. This time, we need to keep the focus on the ability to recognize when a national security threat is looming, and fiscal responsibility. We also need to be going after some representatives and senators to not have gridlock impede the next (democrat) president.
Before the GOP and the msm questions ANYONE'S patriotism, they need to look in the mirror. It is totally unpatriotic to send American troops to the slaughter for the profit of a few. It is totally unpatriotic to allow corporations to ship jobs over seas to pad their bottom line at the expense of American workers. It is totally unpatriotic to ALLOW China or any other country to ship dangerous, poisoned toys and clothing to American children. It is totally unpatriotic to allow religious fanatics to run this country. It is totally unpatriotic to allow even a president to maliciously undermine the sanctity of this country by signing agreements with the leaders of other countries to destroy this country. It is totally unpatriotic to spy on Americans and allow our country to be invaded by illegal aliens from around the WORLD, not just Mexico. It is also unpatriotic to arrange for border patrol agents to be arrested and imprisoned for 10 years for doing the jobs they were hired to do. Everything the Greedy Old P----- do is unpatriotic and treasonous and they should ALL be prosecuted. Also, Mukasey and any other corrupt judge can also be impeached if we had better than a gutless wonder running the congress.
why not just post it on skewz.com and rate it up. it's the site to track media bias anyway.
So what the hell kind of name is Nedra, anyway? Were all the good names like Sasquatch and Bullwinkle already taken?
Should be Needa Pickle
Snowball,
"What's your point? You don't really seem to have one, nor have you addressed the right wing bias in the Corporate Media.
"
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, stories of this primary is the strategy of the Obama team. Once they started getting the black vote they had the red states. Add in the rethugs voting for him thinking they could easily defeat him in the fall, it was sure fire. All involved the differences between caucus and primary and primaries. When history is writ, this will be the story of this election. I've been on Marshall's arse, now C&L's. Always yapping about the truth, but it isn't the truth you want. Same propaganda crap, different singers.
By the bye, I was on Pickler's butt long before you turkeys even knew who she was.
I sent mine in three times to our Idaho "mis"-Statesman B4 they responded with :
" we received your email and it was reviewed by the editorial page editor. However, he did not accept it for publication. The article you are referring to did not appear in print in the Sunday Statesman. So no one here allowed it to go to print. The article apparently was online as part of an automatic feed from the Associated Press. The feed contains nation, world, politicial articles that may go to our web site but never appear in print."
Mmmmmmm , , ,
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