NYT: A Dispute Over Obama’s Birth Lives on in the Media

[ProSense]

A Dispute Over Obama’s Birth Lives on in the Media

By BRIAN STELTER
Published: July 24, 2009

The conspiracy theorists who have claimed for more than a year that President Obama is not a United States citizen have found receptive ears among some mainstream media figures in recent weeks.

Despite ample evidence to the contrary, the country’s most popular talk radio host, Rush Limbaugh, told his listeners on Tuesday that Mr. Obama “has yet to have to prove that he’s a citizen.” Lou Dobbs of CNN said that Mr. Obama should do more to dispel the claims. Larry King, also of CNN, asked guests about it. Chris Matthews debated it with guests on MSNBC, and “NBC Nightly News” even did a segment debunking the theory.

Cable news is often stretched for news in the summer, but the birth certificate case has been fueled by the combustible combination of luck, compelling video, media-savvy doubters — and an outlandish topic.

<...>

But advocates of the issue, who are sometimes termed birthers, called attention to themselves through frequent calls to talk radio shows, e-mail messages to news organizations and a videotaped question at a Congressional town hall. Since mid-July, Mr. Dobbs has discussed it repeatedly on his radio show and on TV, emphasizing that he believes Mr. Obama is a citizen, while wondering in particular why Mr. Obama has not provided a fuller copy of his birth certificate so that “all of this nonsense goes away.” Mr. Dobbs’s coverage has been criticized by Media Matters and other organizations.

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Maybe the NYT (a member of the media) could have included that the so-called "advocates of the issue" are frauds instead of simply writing another "he said, she said" piece.

[MrModerate]

1. Media whores who give time to this crapola because they think it's juicy . . .

are not synonymous with "receptive ears," and the Times knows it.

Especially since the Times is the biggest whore of all (no insult intended to voluntary sex workers).

[depakid]

3. Agreed

Unlike the Australian media- the American media (and a large number of Americans) have little regard for actual facts. He said/she said rules- and no matter how far off the deep end. Rarely is anyone called out- or analysis given as to why one person is a blatant liar- making demonstrably false statements of fact.

Imaging if you would, how Kerry O'Brien or Tony Jones would handle some of the routine lies and outright delusional behavior that American media whores let pass every day- when they're not promoting or encouraging it.

[MrModerate]

7. And that sort of thing is one of the reasons I'm here rather than there . . .

Frankly, I'm beginning to grow increasingly angry that my fellow citizens put up with the garbage they do from media, business, and government.

Australia is light years from perfect, but . . .

[Maccagirl]

2. "Compelling Video"?

Is his birth on YouTube?

[wildflower]

5. I was wondering about that one too

Are they talking about the video of the town hall meeting?

[Blue_Tires]

4. i'm still amazed at how fast things are going downhill

with the media -- they are giving credence (and a nationwide sounding post) to an increasingly extremist fringe...this decade alone they have taken seriously such newsmakers as global warming deniers, creationists, Fred Phelps (or at least people with his same views in a more media-friendly package), Swiftboaters, Minutemen, Teabaggers, defenders of the Tiller shooting, etc...

[moondust]

6. What about the little pink unicorns from Jupiter?

Why aren't they covering that?

:eyes: