How the media missed Bernie Sanders
BURLINGTON, VERMONT (CNN)Bernie Sanders, the man who is leading in New Hampshire and giving Hillary Clinton a run for her money in Iowa, is coming to terms with a new reality: The media is taking him seriously.
Since launching his campaign last May, Sanders has received vastly less media attention than his chief Democratic opponent, while his chances of becoming the party's nominee were largely dismissed by pundits and commentators — despite the fact that, like a certain senator before him, he draws far larger crowds, boasts a remarkably enthusiastic volunteer base, and, though he doesn't have as much money as Clinton, set an all-time record with more than 2.3 million campaign contributions last year.
Now, with Sanders climbing in the polls two weeks before the Iowa caucuses — and likely to maintain momentum after a strong debate performance on Sunday — the mainstream media is racing to catch up to a phenomenon that has been abundantly clear to backers, donors and the progressive media for nine months.
"Clearly, we were not getting coverage that was commensurate with our support among the electorate," Jeff Weaver, Sanders' campaign manager, said during an interview here at Hotel Vermont, where Sanders was preparing for Sunday's debate, the last before the Iowa caucuses on February 1. "Is it a frustration? Of course it's a frustration."
The failure to anticipate Sanders' rise points to a deep flaw with American political media, journalists and campaign strategists told CNN: Despite being proven wrong time and time again, many commentators and reporters continue to cling to an unshakeable faith in the conventional wisdom about the campaign while often ignoring realities on the ground.
In this case, conventional wisdom held that Clinton would waltz to the Democratic nomination without being seriously contested. The only thing that could possibly get in her way was Vice President Joe Biden (who ultimately decided not to run) or her own controversies. But a grumpy 74-year-old Democratic socialist from Vermont with a bag full of expensive left-wing policy nostrums? Not a chance.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/politics/bernie-sanders-media/index.html
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I am running out of years here,I hope this happens,or I will not get to see it.
MSM wants nothing to do with left-of-center politics (neither does the Democratic Party or POTUS, for that matter), and is fully bought in to the Conservative-right -vs- centrist Dems outlook. They fear the far right and the threat to their own future as the mass media model continues to break down. When you listen to talking heads on NPR discuss how the Democratic Party and Hillary are being forced to consider the stands of its "leftist" base, and why this is occurring, and NOT mention Bernie Sanders once in a half-hour of gassing, you know there is intent.
I recently talked to an employee of a large NPR station, and his take on this was NPR was being hammered on the lack of Sanders coverage, and was forced to reassess its coverage. It would rather not. NPR fears the very real possibility of a GOPer far-right take-over which would render PBS & NPR...
...and are all in for Hillary as the best chance of surviving.
