Gosh! WPR will discuss "possible" election fraud on 1/5/05

[AllyCat]

Kathleen Dunn is going to talk to a guest about it tomorrow, on the eve of the ratification of the vote.

I thought they'd never ask... :eyes: :grr:

[gumby]

1. Then they'll dutifully host the "other side"

who will say that people who think the vote was fixed are delusional conspiracy theorists who have a "hate Bush" personality disorder.

Then, after the right-winger lies and lies and lies and dismisses election fraud, Ben Merens will talk about how hard it is to find the "real" facts about anything these days.

[rodeodance]

2. well, at least it will get some coverage-let people make up their own

minds. Glad it will be discussed.

[AllyCat]

3. Did anyone hear it?

I was on my way to a job interview and couldn't catch the whole thing. Guy's name was John Boniface (sp?). Every single caller made comments about why haven't we heard about this before now? Follow-up callers made direct accusations at the media for reporting ad nauseum about Ukraine while ignoring the crisis at home.

One lady launched into a diatribe on NPR for not only failing to report it, but also calling us "conspiracy theorists" for suggesting it shortly after the election. Dunn couldn't get a word in edgewise since the guest was clearly agreeing with the caller.

The guy was hardly defending Kerry either. His point was that here is the election due for ratification tomorrow in which Kerry may not have lost. Where is he? In the middle east!! I thought it was a great show and if I could figure out Real Player, I would listen to what I missed.

Might have even got that job...at least I have a second interview.

[gumby]

4. How is it possible to make a sound decision

when the "sides" are slanted to the extreme right and the information presented is purposely false?

Year after year, WHAD has presented extreme right-wing ideologues as "one side." In this framework, centrists and even journalists offered as the "other side" are then perceived as "liberals."

Furthermore, the neo-con "side" can accurately be described as fascism. Why should a public station continually offer fascism as one side with no discussion about what the neo-cons are actually advocating?

Neo-con policy positions are rarely about what they build their arguments on. They seek to deliberately deceive and keep their true agenda hidden behind their manufactured "studies."

This is not a good environment to let people make up their own minds.

[AllyCat]

5. It's been awhile, but historically, didn't WHAD have two guests

simulataneously on their shows? That would be more interesting. Joy Cardin does her ridiculous week in review on Fridays with two guests from supposed "opposing" viewpoints, but no one is allowed to call in during those times. They spout lies, fallacies, and inaccuracies and she never calls them on anything.

I hate their format right now and usually can't listen to it. The tape player is busted in the car so now I'm listening to the radio again...I still like Dave Berkman's shows. He actually calls people to the carpet for a lot of stuff.

[gumby]

6. You are correct.

WHAD seldom has 2 opposing guests at the same time.

One day they will present a topic from "one side," and then the next day, or later, will host the "other side."

My complaint is that this format is, in itself, a promotion of right-wing ideology. WHAD has hosted the lying, fascist Heritage Foundation hundreds of times. Where are the "socialist, pinko commie marxists" presented as the "other side?"

WHAD "discusses" "sides" according to a right-wing extremist frame. In that frame, anything to the "left" of right-wing extremism is seen as a mirror image of "left-wing extremism." See how this distortion works?

[CatholicEdHead]

7. Should bring it back

WPR has way too much time on its hands. That is why they split up the two sides, to fill two seperate hours and not just one with both sides at once. That is why I apprecitate MPR's Midday and Midmorning more.

WPR needs to follow the MPR formats. Make the Classical/NPR stations all classical (and other music if they choose), and put NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered on in the Afternoon on the Ideas Network and put local programming around it.

That would reduce the number of hours to fill and allow both sides to be on at once with devicive issues.