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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBernie Sanders Slams The Media For Their Biased Presidential Campaign Coverage
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/24/bernie-sanders-slams-media-biased-presidential-campaign-coverage.htmlBernie Sanders Slams The Media For Their Biased Presidential Campaign Coverage
By: Jason Easley
Sunday, May, 24th, 2015, 1:19 pm
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called out the media for their biased coverage of presidential campaigns, and refusal to inform the American people during an interview on CNNs Reliable Sources.
During the interview, Sanders hit on the media bias against discussing issues, and the medias obsession with negative campaigning.
Video @ link:
Transcript via CNN:
SANDERS: I think we are doing pretty well. And I think the media we have gotten more serious discussion on our issues than I might have thought about.
But this is what I worry about. In terms of campaign coverage
STELTER: Yes.
SANDERS: there is more coverage about the political gossip of a campaign, about raising money, about polling, about somebody saying something dumb, or some kid works for a campaign sends out something stupid on Facebook, right? We can expect that to be a major story.
But what your job is, what the medias job is, is to say, look, these are the major issues facing the country. Were a democracy. People have different points of view. Lets argue it.
STELTER: Fundamentally, youre describing what is the systemic issue in press, in the nations news media, which is an interesting spectacle over policy.
SANDERS: To me, it is astounding. And correct me if you think Im wrong. When you have ABC, CBS, and NBC not devoting one minute to the most significant trade agreement in the history of the United States of America, help me out, help me out. Give me an explanation.
.
SANDERS: I mean, television is an important medium. You cannot ignore that. You cannot ignore the reality of income and wealth inequality.
You cannot ignore the fact that Citizens United is undermining our democratic way of life. Now, there are two sides to the story. Im not saying everybody has got to agree with me, but have that issue, have that debate. Thats what elections should be about.
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: Some people might say, how do you do that in a way that keeps people watching, that gets people stay tuned and not turn the channel?
SANDERS: Oh, all right, good question, good question. All right.
So, let me back it up. About a year ago, there was a poll out there. Pollsters asked the American people, tell me which political party controls the U.S. Senate and controls the U.S. House? That was a year ago, when the Democrats controlled the Senate.
STELTER: Its always disappointing to see how many people are wrong with their answers.
SANDERS: Sixty-three percent of the people in this country did not know that answer.
Who bears responsibility for that? Does the media bear any responsibility? How do you have a serious discussion? If you dont like whats going on in Washington, which nobody does, who are you going to blame if you dont know which party controls what? So I think that, instead of coming up with the next news of the moment, breaking news, there was an automobile accident, a cat got run over, here is breaking news. For 40 years, the American middle class has been disappearing and the rich have been getting richer. Why?
snip//
Sen. Sanders is one of the lone voices who is using his presidential campaign platform to call for a better and more responsible media. Bernie Sanders is fighting for your right to be informed, and the corporate press is getting a lesson in what the American people should expect from the media.
polichick
(37,152 posts)That's what happens when corporations buy a gov't and also control the media.
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)progree
(10,893 posts)[font color = "gray", size = 1]{sarcasm thingy}[/font]
global1
(25,225 posts)He said he believes that Bernie will make and impact on this election and already is. He's a straight shooter and is right on the issues - but that he doesn't have a chance for the Dem nomination. He said this 'The media won't let him get the nomination."
The interviewer didn't ask the logical follow-up question in my mind - that is - what do you mean by the media won't let him get the nomination.
I wish Ron had an opportunity to answer such a follow-up.
Bottom line though - it is a sad day in our country where the media has that much power that they can prevent Bernie from getting the nomination.
I would like to prove Ron wrong.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)eom
RufusTFirefly
(8,812 posts)Because, believe me, if they can't keep Bernie quiet or render him invisible, they're going to find some sort of faux incident to ridicule or discredit him
633 times in just four days. Just let that sink in.
Perhaps it's no coincidence that Dr. Dean was outspoken about the need to put the brakes on media consolidation.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)used by the media to take out a candidate...look wrong, speak wrong, walk wrong, etc. and they will be all over it.
Talk dead serious issues...crickets.
Response to SoapBox (Reply #7)
RufusTFirefly This message was self-deleted by its author.
mopinko
(70,021 posts)i remember it well. hair on fire screaming that he was "unelectable".
which, yeah, after you are crucified in the media and declared a failure, it becomes hard to win elections.
progree
(10,893 posts)and practically making him out to be a coward, while Dan Rather got shafted for reporting about the other candidate's war time "service".
I'm amazed they couldn't come up with - or make something up about Obama - that stuck in 2 elections. But they certainly have the media reach to endlessly repeat a meme.
BumRushDaShow
(128,503 posts)with "straw polls" galore, guaranteeing CSPAN presence, and plenty of political talk blabfests ("Values Voters Conference", "CPAC Conference", "Southern Christian Leadership Conference", "NRA Conference", "Freedom Summit", various Iowa and other state conferences and dinners, as well as religious conferences, etc.). That gives them probably 10x the media coverage that our side gets.
Democrats need to do the same and this means a whole lot more than "NetRoots" or candidates reluctantly showing up at the NAACP or Urban League Conventions.
erronis
(15,183 posts)And I imagine more and more people like me (old) and definitely the young are getting their fixes, not from M$M and network t.v., but from smart people on good shows. The bobbling heads and boobs that try to capture grandpa's attention won't work much longer.
BumRushDaShow
(128,503 posts)and have pretty much stopped watching TV. But I do read "print" (whether physical paper or electronic) in order to take some of the layers of smarm off the presentation. But the print/electronic (net) media also cover the myriad of GOP clown "events", although at least there are more options available in print to allow filtering them out to get some actual news.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Published on May 24, 2015
Bernie Sanders on media coverage of 2016 campaign:
Senator Bernie Sanders has sharp words for media outlets that cover personality more than policy. Do candidates have to bash Hillary Clinton
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017267552