White House Media Manipulation: A Lesson in Tactics

[Robbien]

by Thinking Republican
Mon Jan 3rd, 2005 at 08:20:26 PST

The Bush White House has long successfully "played the ref"; that is, they feigned outrage over purported "bias" by the media so that the media bends over backwards to not criticize the White House.

The newest victim is CBS News, whose president, Andrew Heyward has, apparently, performed corporate fellatio on the White House Communication's staff biggest dick, Dan Bartlett. CBS will now, apparently, go even further to be "fair and balanced" -- which translates into taking notes for the Bush family fascist capo regime.



Anyone who's ever played organized basketball - or who follows the NBA - knows how to play the ref: you feign outrage and anger when you're called on event the most blatant foul. You know that, next time, the referee will let minor violations get by because he does't want to appear "biased" in the game. Playing the ref successfully means that you can get away without penalty the next time you throw a sharp elbow.

That's what this administration has done - with great effect - with the American media. They will charge that anyreporting that dares question the Bush White House is the product of the "liberal mainstream media". And reporter and editors, who fear being labeled as "biased", will stifle their impulse to question the administration.

<snip>

The other tactic of this White House and their allies in the right-wing press do is distract from the real story. We saw an example of that just this past week: George W. Bush waits four days to see if the press will play up the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean basin, or relegate it to the International Section on page A-12 (as they do so many stories that don't originate from the West.) When the press plays it up, the president is forced to make a public pronouncement and is ridiculed for the delay.

much more:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/3/112026/5628

[rodeodance]

1. I think that for the most part, the msm has lost its way--making demands

seems to so useless. I am contantly sending them my 2 cents worth and do not get responses (form letter). I find it discouraging!!


......We can,demand, though, that the White House press corp act as more than notetakers for press briefings. We can ask them to face up to their failure -- and their fear -- of "offending" the White House. That's their job! They're supposed to be adversarial with elected authorities - not journalistic eunichs who cower in fear that Scott McClellan might get annoyed with them. The future of the free press - the people who exposed Teapot Dome and Watergate and Iran-Conra -- depends on the press doing their job.

They're not. And it's jeopardizing democracy. ......