A Small Taste of the Media's Power to Choose the News

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060430/cm_huffpost/020092;_ylt=Asie.cA6wF90AWiArP0vS4ms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3YWFzYnA2BHNlYwM3NDI-

Peter Daou: Ignoring Colbert: A Small Taste of the Media's Power to Choose the News

Peter Daou Sun Apr 30, 3:42 PM ET

The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner was televised on C-Span Saturday evening. Featured entertainer Stephen Colbert delivered a biting rebuke of George W. Bush and the lily-livered press corps. He did it to Bush's face, unflinching and unbowed by the audience's muted, humorless response. Democratic Underground members commented in real time (here, here, and here). TMV posted a wrap-up.


On Colbert's gutsy delivery, watertiger writes, "Stephen Colbert displayed more guts in ten minute of performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner than the entire Bush family. He, along with the ever-feisty Helen Thomas, deftly exposed the "truthiness" to the world (or at least those who were watching) that Bush AND the D.C. press corps are indeed a naked emperor and his gutless courtiers."

......

It appears Mash's misgivings about press coverage are well-placed. The AP's first stab at it and pieces from Reuters and the Chicago Tribune tell us everything we need to know: Colbert's performance is sidestepped and marginalized while Bush is treated as light-hearted, humble, and funny. Expect nothing less from the cowardly American media. The story could just as well have been Bush and Laura's discomfort and the crowd's semi-hostile reaction to Colbert's razor-sharp barbs. In fact, I would guess that from the perspective of newsworthiness and public interest, Bush-the-playful-president is far less compelling than a comedy sketch gone awry, a pissed-off prez, and a shell-shocked audience.

This is the power of the media to choose the news, to decide when and how to shield Bush from negative publicity. Sins of omission can be just as bad as sins of commission. And speaking of a sycophantic media establishment bending over backwards to accommodate this White House and to regurgitate pro-GOP and anti-Dem spin, I urge readers to pick up a copy of Eric Boehlert's new book, Lapdogs. It's a powerful indictment of the media's timidity during the Bush presidency. Boehlert rips away the facade of a "liberal media" and exposes the invertebrates masquerading as journalists who have allowed and enabled the Bush administration's many transgressions to go unchecked, under-reported, or unquestioned........

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1. Here is one DU 'here"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1060020

[Seabiscuit]

2. "invertebrates masquerading as journalists" - Love it!

I'm going to have to remember that phrase. So much more eloquent than "spineless media whores".

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3. We have Had a grand example today (silence on Colbert)

[Ksec]

4. He embarassed them so they shy away from the glare.

Really would anyone want anyone(especially the Washington press corps)exposing them as weak ineffective and lillylivered?

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5. yes, that he did

[Touchdown]

6. Have faith. They'll go back to criticizing the Prez.

...when we have a Democrat back in.:eyes: