Mediamatters - Big Media Myth Is That Obama Is Not Fighting Back - Hides RW Bias

[Median Democrat]

One of the most pervasive myths out there, besides the liberal media bias myth, is the myth that Democrats are not fighting back or responding to the lies spread by Republicans. The purpose of this often repeated myth is to provide cover for Big Media's refusal to broadcast the Democrat's response to such allegations.

Check out the website: www.mediamatters.org.

This website contains numerous examples of Big Media stating GOP talking points without also broadcasting the Democrats response. The Democrats are responding. However, Big media simply refuses to broadcast such responses, then blames Democrats for not fighting back.

Anyone who has watched an Obama or Biden interview knows that Obama and Biden are fighting back and attacking McCain and Palin on the issues. Yet, the RW pundits continue to spread the idea that Obama is not fighting back, because Democratic responses are not being aired. Indeed, Obama specifically mentioned the media's failure to critically examine the claims made by the McCain/Palin camp due in part to allegations of liberal bias.

[backscatter712]

1. I hate those filthy fascist media fucks with every fiber of my being.

They are human garbage. They are scum.

It's too bad I can't say more because DU guidelines prohibit advocation of violence against these pieces of shit.

[AuntPatsy]

2. K & R so that perhaps those durs believing such bs will stop repeating it all

[AtomicKitten]

3. Deja vu.

[butterfly77]

4. Every morning these shows...

bring on groups of white males in a round table to tell all of America how it should think as though they are the spokespeople for all of America. To pretend that they are being fair they bring in a few Black paid shills to go along with their points if they don't, then they are out numbered on the panel so that the non thinking people believe they are correct and the paid shills back down..

[democracy1st]

5. we need those 527's

[Median Democrat]

6. This Is A Myth - Even 527s Require Bid Media Complicity - See Swift Boat Ads

The Swift Boat veterans only made a very small ad buy. If you look on youtube, you can see ad buys by pro-Democratic groups in support of Obama. So, what is the difference?

The difference is having a network like Fox News taking one of the ads, then playing and replaying the most outrageous ads for free. Big media does not do this for the Democrats.

For example, there is a Christian group that purchased an ad about two months ago that pretty clearly slammed on McCain's past of infidelity. YET, this ad was not repeated or covered by any of the major networks. Thus, the ad died in obscurity.

527s are not a magic bullet. They still require the echo chamber effect of a compliant media.

[democracy1st]

7. radio is playing a larger role ?

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/quietly_obama_campaign_flashes.php

[mvd]

8. He has been fighting back more lately

and it's true that the media won't give him credit. That's why an increase in attack ads would be good. Besides Olbermann and Maddow being on MSNBC, the media is still the same old corporate media that allowed Bush to be selected and fed the political AND personal hate fest on President Clinton. Unfortunately Air America still does not have the reach that Libmaugh/Hannity/et. al do.

[EffieBlack]

9. Perfect example:

Last weekend, the pundits criticized Obama for 1) not fighting back; 2) for allowing Palin to take him off-message, claiming that he was not talking about his issues - the economy, healthcare, jobs, etc. They supported the second claim with soundbytes from his stump speech in Indidana in which he blasted McCain and Palin for not telling the truth about the bridge to nowhere, etc.

And then I turned on CSPAN and watched his entire speech.

Turns out that the clip the media kept playing and playing over and over again was just a very small snippet from the event. In fact, Obama spent the vast majority of the speech laying out his platform, discussing the issues, drawing clear comparisons between himself and McCain and generally making mincemeat of his opponent. The MSM never mentioned this, but instead kept repeating the same incorrect assessment of what Obama was doing and saying on the road.

Just one case in point of what you're talking about.

[Median Democrat]

10. Exactly, Remember The Thrown Away Flag Fiasco? Big Media Bias At Work

The generic Democrat is not fighting back talking point is used to cover-up Big Media's bias in refusing to air Democratic viewpoints or responses to Republican attacks. Mediamatters documents repeated instances where Obama issued a response to a McCain attack.

For example, Mediamatters notes that the Democratic Party issued a response regarding Republican claims that the Democrats threw away flags used during the DNC. Yet, as Mediamatters notes, Fox news continued to run the story without providing the Democrats responses. So, the perception is created that Democrats are not fighting back, when the real issue is the bias of Fox News.

Just like "liberal media" bias, the "not fighting back" theme is basically disinformation designed to obscure the heavy right wing bias of the corporate media.

[NewJeffCT]

11. It was the same with Kerry in 2004 - even most of DU believes that one

I did for a while until another DUer pointed out how well Kerry did respond to the Swift Boaters - it just never got any coverage!