Will Big Media Pay The Price For Slanting Against Kerry?

[DrFunkenstein]

It really seems to me that alot of the news programs, particularly on the cable channels, have decided to give up any remnant pretense of objectivity and just spin things into the ground.

Would a Kerry Presidency try to make amends with Big Media to help public perception of his agenda, or will he draw a line in the sand and put his foot down?

I seriously have a hard time believing that the news networks will ever be very sympathetic to Kerry. Policy wonks don't make for good attention grabbing headlines. Besides the fact that Bush had Michael Powell deregulate everything he touched, Bush also ran his administration like it was an advertising campaign. Kerry is more old school - great for Edward R. Murrow, but what' s a poor hack like Judy Woodruff going to do with herself? Research?

My feelings, although you never know, is that Kerry is going to bank on breaking up the big guys and hope that a more diverse media might be more sympathetic.

[Daisey Mae]

1. hope so......

[displacedtexan]

2. Oh so subtly.

They'll never figure it out, though.

There will always be plausible deniability (scheduling problems; trying to be fair; etc.).

[Confident]

3. I wouldn't worry - Big Media will suck up to the winner and

dump the loser ... once in power, just watch the favorable coverage Kerry gets

[fugop]

5. Wish I believed that

I wish I thought the media would change its spots, but I don't see it. They're all still trying to capitalize on the Rushification/Foxification of society. This will just be Clinton Redux. Kerry won't get the four year honeymoon Dubya got. From day one, it will be, "Kerry has no plan" and worse.

I just hope Kerry can stem the big media consolidation somehow. I think that's our only hope.

[KurtNYC]

7. didn't happen for Clinton

they called everything "-gate" and slammed him every day of his presidency. When Clinton bombed Saddam they parroted "wag the dog, wag the dog" Heard that phrase in the last 4 years?

[AspenRose]

10. That never happened to Clinton

I predict "The Hunting of the President, part two"

[Wright Patman]

4. Did he vote for

the Telecommunications Act of 1996? Reportedly that is what led to the recent wave of media consolidation.

[DrFunkenstein]

8. Yes, He Did

Which is why I pose this question. Had he not, I would have assumed that major reforms would be in the works. He has indicated that he is inclined to bump up the head Democrat on the FCC, a man that worked closely with progressives like John Nichols. But it is still unclear if that would ultimately result in a rollback of the 1996 Telecommunications act, which - for me - is a start and not an ending place.

[KurtNYC]

6. CW holds that cable news panders to

mature, retired and semi-retired folks with above average incomes. That group leans right. Anyone who wants the biggest audience in cable news will have to pander to that crowd. Their audience is smaller each year and the righties will turn on these nets just telling the truth Wednesday - namely, that Kerry won.

To heck with them.

[AspenRose]

9. There's an online petition for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine

www.fairnessdoctrine.com

[Paradise]

11. Oh, wouldn't it be loverly! :) n/t