Glenn Greenwald said two important things this morning on Democracy Now.

[EFerrari]

The first one is that the journalist class uses the excuse that Americans want tabloid journalism to report tripe and to avoid serious issues. He said it's demonstrably false that we only want junk reported at a time when 8 of 10 Americans think this country is seriously off track. (So, who are the actual elitists around here?)

The second thing he said was about the media and McCain. He said McCain is liked, respected, even beloved by the media. The relationship is so close that the media doesn't report negative stories about McCain because THEY CAN'T SEE THEM as newsworthy. He said they hang out with him, celebrate his birthday in bars and so on.

I think he's right about the first point but I'd no idea that McCain was the press corpse's darling. We need to remember one and prepare for the other, imho.

Link to transcript, stream:http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/18/great_american_hypocrites_glenn_greenwald_on

[crankychatter]

1. dos recomendaciones

si

[EFerrari]

3. Agradecida!

:)

[hfojvt]

2. Somerby has talked about that a lot

Even before the primary began, he noted how both McCain and Giuliani were puffed up by the press. Giuliani as America's 9/11 Mayor and McCain as the Straight Talking War Hero Saint.

[EFerrari]

6. Maybe there's some way we can hang onto the names in the letter

that the sane journos signed about the debate. Because they will be our allies in getting anything like fair reporting in the Fall.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. + Skin cancer surviving Maverick! nt

[babylonsister]

4. Oh yea. Awhile back-a month? maybe-McCain had a

cook-out and invited a lot of the press corps to it. I remember Salon had an article, and his daughter made a youtube. The 'journalists' were having a fabulous time! :eyes: I did see Glenn today; he was terrific.

[EFerrari]

8. That went right over my head.

For a long time, I couldn't figure out why McCain got so little press. It was like no one was paying attention to him or something. And the press he does get could be about any elder stateman -- it was rote, not really about him in some way. Now I get it.

[TragedyandHope]

10. McCain BBQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp0iHOk0mEQ

McCain BBQ attendees skew their reporting

[babylonsister]

13. Yep. Thanks for digging that up! nt

[EFerrari]

15. Thanks! I want to see that!

:hi:

[Coexist]

5. kick

[PoliticalAmazon]

7. The Dem candidate will not be able to use Rove tactics on McCain...

...He has the grandpa image, and the media, and many Americans, will react negatively to it.

[EFerrari]

9. Very true. And thank good Gawd in Heaven, he isn't my grampa!

lol

[redqueen]

11. I don't like the attempt to portray them as ineffective rather than malicious.

I don't think they don't report stories which are negative about McCain because they can't see them as newsworthy. I don't think that's the case at all.

[EFerrari]

14. Well, remember he was generalizing about the whole industry.

We know there are some malicious mofos out there who have powerful venues to spew from.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. Deliberate propagandists for the corporatist agenda.

[EFerrari]

17. Watch the vid. He wasn't giving them any quarter. He demolished them. n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

22. Did watch it, and Glenn is one of my absolute favorite people out there.

I'm just saying what I think is the bottom line with the American media.

[EFerrari]

24. I agree. They may all believe they have their reasons but

their reason at bottom is the loss of their paycheck if they mess with their employers' bottom line.

[kentuck]

18. McCain was Chairman of the Communications Committee for years...

He was the person to go thru if you needed something done for the Cable TV industry or television in general. They treated him nice and were rewarded in kind. He is no longer the Chairman of the Committee but the old loyalties linger on...

[EFerrari]

21. Excellent point! I'd forgotten about that altogether. n/t

[Kolesar]

25. Good catch!

thread kick

[Major Hogwash]

19. The people that brought you "The Iraq War: Paybacks for 9/11",

Want to bring you "The Iran War: They've Got It Coming To Them, Too"

The first 2 in a series of Middle East wars.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Digby is also good on The Media And St. McCain phenomenon.

[EFerrari]

23. We need to get Swampy or radfringe to start the "Clayfoot

Hop to the White House" strip. lol

[Oilwellian]

26. I can't wait to begin making McCain videos for the general election

I'm envisioning McCain in a HoverRound. :D

I don't think the people will allow the media to pretty up McCain in the General Election. Not this time.