Media Matters exposes MSM coverage of Edwards

[Catchawave]

Several news reports this week about Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards illustrate the flawed ways in which media too often treat the champions of progressive economic policies; among them:

Media often give short shrift to the actual substance of progressive proposals, focusing instead on their cost.

Media portray wealthy candidates who advocate progressive economic proposals as out-of-touch hypocrites. Bizarrely, wealthy candidates who advocate conservative economic policies that would actually enrich themselves often escape similar scrutiny of their personal finances.

The examples below focus on media coverage of Edwards, though it would be a mistake to assume these kinds of flawed reporting are in any way unique to him.

cont'd: http://mediamatters.org/items/200705120002

Also diaried at Daily Kos by be inspired: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/14/95935/2808

[waiting for hope]

1. So very true....

"In fact, it will be interesting to see if the media tries to have it both ways with Obama and Edwards, criticizing Obama for something they find in his tax forms, while criticizing Edwards for not releasing his. Watch out for this. Also notice how little coverage there is of any Republican's tax forms, or their refusal to release them."

I think they have been instructed, Edwards must be scaring the piss out of them.

K :kick: and R :thumbsup: with some :bounce:

[ultraist]

2. Agree, waiting for hope

Edwards poses a huge threat to the status quo---this is why the corporate M$M is already starting in with the rightwing smears.

[mnhtnbb]

6. Hoping Dems won't wake up to the fact that Edwards consistently

polls better than Hillary or Obama in match-ups with Repub contenders.

Plus, his favorable/unfavorable ratings are now better than Obama's and
consistently are much better than Hillary's.



http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/favorables/election_2008_democratic_candidates_running_in_2008_presidential_election

[ultraist]

9. Exactly

The mouthpiece for the rightwing, better known as the corporate M$M, would love to see Hillary as the candidate---the one least likely to beat one of their Republicans.

[Catchawave]

7. We can play the "game" if we know the rules :)

Especially this part:

"Edwards was mocked this week for working at a hedge fund to learn about financial markets. And if he hadn't worked in a hedge fund? The very same people who are mocking him now would dismiss him as someone who has "no sense whatsoever of what goes on in Wall Street and in business." The media are going to undermine him, and others who support similar policies, no matter what."

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't :evilgrin:

[blm]

24. So very true. Now you know what it's like to be a MAIN TARGET, and it's barely started.

Imagine being the ONLY target for months and years on end, all the while your opposition is getting full on protection from that same media.

I hope for all our sake that Edwards comes in ahead of the corporatists who are running.

[benny05]

3. We are the Fifth Estate

Thank gawd for Media Matters and to other bloggers like Be Inspired and Catchawave to bring this out. Too many mistruths out there.

[Catchawave]

12. Mistruths on DU too, I've noticed all too frequently....

often defended in the name of "debate" :(

Thanks for the cyberhug benny :hi:

[Tejanocrat]

27. I agree. The MSM isn't any less fair that the militant anti-truth-crowd here!

[illinoisprogressive]

4. good. his coverage is so unfair and I'm not a supporter.

[Catchawave]

18. We're all on the same side afterall....

...we shouldn't have to "lower our expectations" either. I want, no, I demand a "fair and balanced" media.

[fooj]

25. Good luck with that!

I think that John scares the crap out of them.

[be inspired]

5. Thanks!

Thanks for posting the link to my diary on Daily Kos!

[waiting for hope]

8. I saw all your entries

on Daily Kos - Great Stuff! You need to post more here...All the positive exposure on Edwards is good. :)

[be inspired]

11. Thanks!

I'll try to get over here more. I post on a lot of sites.

[Catchawave]

14. Well, I "be inspired" by your Kos diary :)

Thank YOU :toast:

[sparkleon]

10. MSM

is bought and paid for IMO by the Republicans.  They do not
report fairly or accurately for the Democratic party.  Why
they do this is is only a guess on my part....first they want
a paycheck, second, they do not have the moxy to report from
their guts, third, they want to up the other guy or station
and make front page news rather than look at the whole story. 
My theory:  Only believe half of what you see, and nothing of
what you read.  I would hate to have a President that did not
know or experience financial matters whether it be stocks,
bonds, hedge, mutual funds.  MSM needs to go back to old
fashion reporting and just report facts, not what their bosses
want to hear.

[Catchawave]

21. I agree, also, many AP "journalists" are taken far

too seriously. I see those articles all the time on DU, and posted as "fact". And I'm just saying...about all the candidates on our team.

[loudsue]

13. We need to start sending copies of these articles to the Dem "leadership"

I'm so fucking tired of the media, I'm ready to go to war over it. They're hiding WMD's in print!!

:kick:

[Catchawave]

17. I sent this thread to Keith Olbermann's staff....

Maybe he'll invite Joe Trippi back "to discuss" :patriot:

[madinmaryland]

15. Good point.

Would be nice to see them hold Romney to the same standard. The only thing I have heard is he is a self made billionaire (HAHA). Wouldn't it be nice to hear the media say that Mitt's policies would only benefit Mitt and a handful of the wealthiest of the wealthy!

[Egnever]

16. While I agree that media coverage is often laughable

To expect the likes of Glen Beck, Tucker Carlson, and Neil Cavuto to be fair to any dem candidate makes one wonder if they are living in the same reality I am.

If people havent figured out those three are partisan hacks by now I doubt they ever will.

[waiting for hope]

20. It's more than those three

doing it - I got about three dozen articles concerning Edwards Hedge Fund involvement from my Google and Yahoo alerts - all were pretty much the same talking points as listed in the OP...the trend of the Media is to the right - way too much so. Media Matters should be able to get more exposure but they don't - Damn MSM, must be leaning a bit....:sarcasm:

[Egnever]

22. I agree the media has completely dropped the ball

Over all when it comes to honest coverage. I don't think using those as examples of it really helps the case. People pretty much expect them to be partisan hacks and pointing out the fact that they are doesn't really make the point well.

Better to stick to the media that is considered to be fair or trustworthy by a large portion of americans. The post and even the blitzer part were better for their point I think.

Having said that this post implies they are out to get Edwards specifically and I don't think thats the case at all. They are out to protect the republicans at all costs and it doesn't matter to them who the target is. Clearly this dishonest reporting extends to all sorts of issues including protecting republican proposals and pushing them in a favorable light and denigrating any sort of dissent with them or plain out failing to report on them.

We have huge problems with our media, it goes way deeper than any coverage of Edwards though.

The other problem i have with the media matters article is they seem to be begging for the FOX treatment. Putting up both sides of the argument for the sake of doing so. This is a huge problem with out fair and balanced type media atm IMHO. If a topic in reality is weighted greatly on one side you don't need to let the underdog get on and spew just for balance cause thats a fake balance and gives way to much weight to opinions that are more than likely not valid at all. Witness the global warming "debate". There no real debate there yet still even today we keep seeing experts displayed that argue the other side. Thats not fair reporting thats giving voice to delusional people simply because they disagree.

There needs to be much more emphasis on facts and a whole lot less on opinions.

[Egnever]

23. oops

double post

[loudsue]

19. Listen to what RFK Jr. said about the media in his speech. It KICKS ASS!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=28238

He shows how essential the Fairness Doctrine was, and gives some history. VERY inspiring, for those of us who have about had enough.

:loveya: He (RFK jr. ) gets my floaty-hearts.

:kick:

[depakid]

26. Anyone with a lick of sense knows the media does this

Which makes it incumbent on candidates like Edwards to be very careful not to give them easy ammunition.