Take the Pledge: Hold the Media Accountable
By John Amato Monday Jul 28, 2008 4:45pm
Media Matters has a new video and petition going on about McCain's Media.
Following a week of coverage focused on unfounded complaints of media bias by Sen. John McCain and his surrogates, Media Matters Action Network today launched an ad campaign highlighting the media's long-held affection for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and seeking public support to hold the media accountable.The ad follows on the heels of a new study from the conservative Center for Media and Public Affairs, which reportedly found that during the initial phase of the general election, network evening news coverage has been more favorable toward John McCain than Barack Obama. Though Obama has received a greater volume of coverage at times, the tone of his coverage has been more negative, according to CMPA.
CMPA reportedly examined all statements by anchors and reporters on the network evening news broadcasts between June 8, the day after Hillary Clinton dropped out of the Democratic race, and July 21. Though most of the comments were neutral in tone, CMPA reportedly found that when there was an opinion offered, it was more likely negative against Obama. Only 28% of the opinions offered about Obama were positive, while 72% were negative. McCain's numbers were clearly better: 43% positive opinions versus 57% negative.
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Repugs are so used to saying whatever outlandish thing they wish knowing their base will buy it; morons are pretty easy to impress.
Shocking! It's almost like the media is on the McSames side.
That's the job of the ProfitMedia - supporting the candidate who will help them get rid of all that nasty regulation that hinders their unrestrained profiteering. John McKeating understands this.
there's no way they can accurately portray mclame. he's absolutely useless and everyone sees it. if they report that, then you have a major slant that would resemble, not be but resemble, the truth. and you know we sure as fuck can't have that.
done!
The same media controllers got gwb, the total alcholic failure, elected not once, but twice.
Deja vou.
Demanding the owned msm to have fair and balanced coverage is like demanding to the FED, how "WE THE PEOPLE" want it done properly. It just ain't going to happen, until we own it.
We can demand they listen to our demands,...all the way to the camps, on the train.
Obummer @ 4:
Reality has a liberal bias, as the saying goes. If McCane represents the conservative and Obama the liberal, then clearly telling the truth, insofar as this campaign is concerned, will come down looking like an Obama bias.
Sure, hold the MSM accountable, but imagine the Herculean task of holding not only McCain's sketchy at best grasp of facts to task, but the entirety of the whole Boosh lexicon of fertilizer in check all at the same time!
Unlike Sister Ann Daniel, or McCain’s handlers, Albert Camus developed the idea of the "absurd man", the man who is periodically conscious of the ultimate futility of life living with nuns or Republicans, who, true to their chosen path (except the ones with nice big knockers), never got none. The lingering stench and memory of this realization forms a basis for perceptions without the unjustified infusion of meaning. This notion directly opposes the idea of faith which is characteristic of most scams and religions (and even of existentialism, which Camus therefore did not fully accept). The search for truth is seen as futile as gathering facts from Fox or getting the same answer from McCain twice in a row, as modes of perception are constantly changing due to fluctuation of their axioms, which may be discernible as a consistent set of beliefs directly conflicting with those once thought irrefutable. Drawing on numerous philosophical and literary sources, and particularly Dostoevsky (known locally in the neighborhood as a ponce), Camus describes the historical development of absurd awareness and concludes that Sisyphus, and in turn, Boosh, are the ultimate absurd heroes.
Camus presents my ceaseless and pointless toil as a metaphor for modern lives spent working at futile jobs in factories, offices, as pool cleaners, service personnel in the eyeglass department of a local cost warehouse, hairdressers, and college art professors. "The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious." And while Camus suggests that some things and situations (teenage girls gone wild?) are out of human control, Sartre proposes that everything can be manipulated and changed, regardless of the situation or individual, even a small furry mammal that likes to build water entrapment structures with the use of its long, ovate shaped tail.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/29/the-mclaughlin-group-is-the-med...
But all you hear from the media is their echoing the McBush campaign's claim that the media is in love with Obama.
Why democrats and progressives haven't been successful in creating at least one large broadcast network that tells the truth is the real question. Why haven't they been able to? Is it lack of intelligence, business know how, or what? All democratic and progressives sources are reactive.
This is serious. I don't understand why liberals always think it is funny to cloak a deserved counter attack in humor.
Obama did it about Whiner Gramm. When he should have pounced on him as Hilary did on bittergate....
There are genuine issues that need to be addressed with hard cold clarity. media loves mccain and screws Obama and i don't see Obama's people doing anything about it...
they promised to hit back at attacks and they have not.... they even let the Obama does not support the troops thing go without citing McCains crap voting record on troop issues like GI BIll
Move to Massachusetts? I thought he was the Senator from ARIZONA!!
Ok O'Rielly ambush this guy now!!
the CMPA is a liberal organization in disguise. Just like Adkinson was a liberal Christian-hater in disguise.
Better yet, turn it off and watch their ad revenue dry up.
You can start by not referring to them as "mainstream" but rather as corporate media. Corporate media is not what we imagine by freedom of the press. The hardcore truth is secondary to CM to profits and nationalism. To get the truth we have thousands of web sites, english web sites in other countries, liberal blogs, liberal radio, etc. Media Matters does a fine job exposing lies and bias. Until we defeat corporatism, we have many alternatives to propaganda for profits.
And The Distortions Continues
Talk about coordinating attacks, have you seen the polls lately? There is a clear attempt by the folks at the RealClear politics site to control the polling averages. When you know how to use numbers, you can create all kinds of deceptions. Gallup released a poll showing Barack Obama with a 9 point lead. Within the next two days, they released another poll showing John McCain with 4 point lead among likely voters, including the 9 point lead polls they gave two days prior. Today, Dick Gregory of MSNBC argued why is Obama not gaining in the polls. Here is why.
I have provided a link to the RealClear politics' averages. When a conservative polling agency is controlling which polls are included in that average, you can make that average favor your candidate every time. So RealClear dropped a few leading polls for Obama, and found the right sequence of numbers that would make Obama look week, McCain look stronger, and Gallup look fair. With a strange combination that had Gallup giving Obama a 9 point lead, and another polls showing McCain with a 4 point lead, they are making the false claim Obama is not winning. While you are at it, look at the history of the national polls. As a matter of perception and which poll you believe, you can make the same claim Obama is pulling away from McCain.
My point: The polling average is generated by a conservative agency. They will not show Obama leading if they can work the numbers so they don't have to. They have been working the numbers overtime, complete with bias and media support. The bias in favor of McCain is huge and coordinated. I have seen the same coordination within the media as they comment on Hillary Clinton's chances for VP. So far, the conservatives have become so concerned for Obama and are making a wise piece of advice not to chose Clinton. I am so impressed with the non partisan advice of the Republican party. NOT.
Joseph
The pundit class , what a bunch of brain dead shills for corps and special interest. I think we should hold them accountable for aiding and abetting a criminal administration . That means jail time..yeeeehhaaaaaa!
Duh, Netroots in conjunction with craigslist is killing Corporate media. Real information comes from netroots and cool ways to sell your whatever is at on Craigslist. NYT stock is at 12 bucks, something. Newscorp, (Faux) is at 14 bucks something.
These things are dying. And they are flailing wildly in their death throes. I try to help you people with fresh useful stuff I gather from all over the planet but I find you are childish anti intellectual fuckheads from hell who can't even handle spelling. Is C&L some web version of the National Enquirer?
Look there is power in precision. There is power in doing homework. Beyond the short term politics, we are faced with a crisis from hell and what all are you doing about it and how are you reducing your carbon footprint?
Hint: Living in LA is an utter disaster. I am disgusted by the infantile commentariat here that yaps about minor politic things while being childishly oblivious to the shithammer that will pound all of us if we don't rush to adjust lives to sustainability.
Obama will win, but then what? Human life on this miracle jewel of a planet is about to be wrecked if you politics junkies don't show evidence of real effort at carbon footprint reduction.
The existing media is already obsolete and the time you waste on parsing it is hilarious. You could spend that time on alerting people to carbon footprint reduction as they will save money and make a real contribution, but no, you are idiots from El Lay.
Pretty weak...the McCain Media are far worse than that.
kerplunk @ 10:
We already have objective media. Reuters, the BBC, Rogers (Canada). It's just a shame that not everyone has a satellite dish to watch their television news. But they are online.
ken @ 6:
gwb was NOT ever elected legally
he was selected in 2000
kerry never protested Ohio and Fla. in 2004
Ted Stevens indictments are what I consider NATIONAL news. It affects an entire nation and it's throughly corrupt government. WHERE IS THE COVERAGE? Where's the tapes, pictures, dna, details, facts, witnesses, taped phone calls? All we get is a small 3 sec moving banner at the bottom of the screen. THAT IS IT!
Instead they repeatedly and it seems like forever, talk about NOBODYS who no one has ever heard of before, with extended coverages that has OUT OF THIS UNIVERSE DETAILS with evidence, tapes, phone calls, witnesses. Missing kids I never heard of, local murders of NOBODYS explained in excess SEVERE detail, coverage of exorcisms that leave absolutely NOTHING out, in painfull detail, discussed REPEATEDLY.
Hey Rupert and cronies! Where's the really, really IMPORTANT stuff, that people want to know about that personally DOES affect them all?
Welcome to msm's... "local news". NO deails left behind.
As an American, I really didn't expect much from the presumptive Democratic candidate when he went to any of the stops on his tour. It has been clear that the press would be hinging on every word or deeds to either discredit or criticize him as they have been doing since this campaign has begun. Sure, I am proud that for the first time in history that is someone who looks like me is running for the presidency which I had never thought would ever happen, but I am also realistic that factions would try to trip him up in some way. I cringe when I hear comments made about his ability to lead when we are in such a mess in this country especially when initially no one questioned Bush's ability to lead. I cringe when I hear commentators create spins and sound bites to try to dissuade anyone who may be leaning to support him. I cringe when stupid questions are asked by seemingly intelligent people who run the polls which to me are design to create doubt about Obama. I cringe when news magazine commentators ask probing questions that would not be asked of his opponent. Its clear that there is racism in mainstream media which is under orders to seize every opportunity to tarnish his image. They attack his wife with lies and they ask his children inappropriate questions that would never be asked of anyone else's children only because they can. There is no respect from the media in this campaign which it comes to Obama and that makes me sick. When I come to this blog and others, I read comments which are hateful and hurtful which have no basis of truth or credibility. I read about how we are going to fare if he is elected which borders on out right racist diatribe. I know that those who are of the opposing party are angry that their image has been tarnished with all the scandals but to use this moment to vent and point the blame at Obama is not acceptable. McSame is feeling the heat and he will do or say anything at this point to gain an advantage but itsn't it like them to take the low road when the chips are down. I am starting to wonder if Rupert Murdock owns all of the media that is trying to give him a different image. I hope that America is paying attention this time and not be fooled again.
I said months ago that this would happen. The media trashed Hillary and praised Obama to the sky just to get the Clintons out of the way. They've always attacked our most knowledgeable leaders. Now they'll start chewing on Obama, but not too much at first, or even this dingbat public could notice the switch. I hope his worshipers enjoyed the primary. They wanted change, and the media are about to change into a rabid beast chomping on The Precious.
The McCain Media meme is the dumbest thing I've heard this election season. How funny that the entire "McCain Media" followed Barack overseas. LOL.
The fact that the Right complains about the "Drive By's" being in the tank for Obama and the left using the McCain Media inanity tells me the media must have it about right.
The Mainstream media, or Corporate media, is indeed heavily biased toward Democrats. We may have all manner of subjective impressions otherwise, but for anyone open enough to look at objective and telling numbers, consider the article found at: http://www.ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=301702713742569
The circus that surrounds the Obama campaign is not only unfair, but it makes me wonder why he suddenly didn't want to go with the campaign funding agreement he originally said he would follow. It seems like Ted Turner and CNN and other Media Moguls are huge financial supporters of his. Why else would they constantly be so biased toward McCain? If Obama is going to win it should be because of his discussion of the issues and his past record (which is extremely limited), not because the press decided he was their man. This is exactly why we needed reform the camapaign finances. Before he decided to make his contributers anonymous, the press was giving all the candidates balanced coverage. The only coverage McCain got this week was the fact that he had a bandaid on his face! I am an Indepedent Voter that was undecided- the unfair biased coverage is making me a McCain supporter. At least I know who he is accepting money from. I also know that his lengthy record on tough issues is worthy of press coverage.
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