"The media is a big stinking cabal of conservatives"

[deminks]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-elfman07.html

Did media miss real Colbert story?

A "blogstorm" is thundering across liberal Web sites. Many liberals are furious at the White House press corps for virtually ignoring Stephen Colbert's keynote speech at the press corp's own White House Correspondents' Dinner last Saturday. To non-liberals, this may seem like an isolated complaint. To liberals, it further justifies their belief that the media, particularly TV news, is a big stinking cabal of conservatives.

How did Bush tickle reporters? He made fun of the fact that he can barely speak English (he is quite simply the worst communicator of all U.S. presidents), that our vice president is a heartless face-shooter, and that Bush is basically an idiot.

How's this for a newsworthy lead? It was perhaps the first time in Bush's tenure that the president was forced to sit and listen to any American cite the litany of criminal and corruption allegations that have piled up against his administration. And mouth-tense Bush and first lady Laura Bush fled as soon as possible afterward.

This is trouble for the media. It has been losing customers to bloggers and Web sites for years. This won't help. The media's implosion of silence could be one of the final reasons many liberals use to not turn on TV news. It's not like they feel a vested interest in the industry anyway, since it has been bought and parceled by conservatives.

see also Kos diary here


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/9/881/09832

[bryant69]

1. Cabal of Conservatives vs. Cabal of Whores

I think it's more the latter than the former. Sure the media is objectively pro war (war is good for ratings), but on other issues the Media skews more to the middle and on some social issues even to the left.

The overriding priority however is making money and not pissing off your editor.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[acmejack]

2. I suggest you go back and read how Jack Welch dealt with both

Russert and Matthews. Then come back and give us the benefit of your considered opinion. I believe you will find Mr. Welch's thoughts on the media and it's purposes quite enlightening. Viacom's corporate head throws in his two cents worth in the same article, I am sure it is still residing on the greatest page, I will search after I post this. As an ex GEer, I have this special place in my er, well it's not exactly my heart, for Jack Welch, so I am always interested in him...

edit Found it! http://www.glennston.com/antibush/article_coverup4.htm

[bryant69]

3. You'll have to point it out to me -I did a search an the greatest page

and using Google - and nothing's popping up.

Also I assume by providing my considered opinion you mean I should apologize and admit that the media is completely in the tank for Conservativism?

[acmejack]

5. I totally see that as in character for "Neutron Jack"

He was the most evil person I ever came into contact with. We had our best year ever at the Department I worked for, Jack showed up, told us we were overpaid, underworked, and overstaffed. Demanded an immediate 10% reduction in personnel, Merry Christmas, people!

Oh, as an afterthought, he axed our Department head and supplied a new person, a Harvard MBA who couldn't even recognize a sensor system 2 out of 3 times and had no experience navigating the mysteries of the Government acquisition system. She had a short, but interesting tenure.

[charlie]

4. Conservatives vs Whores

What's the diff? I no longer have any interest in defending "true" conservatism against the wild-eyed maniacs who romp under its banner today. They wrecked the liberal "brand" long ago and made the idea of so-called conservatism the penumbra for nothing more than their unbound, unprincipled appetites. So, conservative is as conservative does. If ostensible "liberals" spend their days whacking liberals and boosting conservatives, they ARE conservatives.

[bryant69]

6. It matters in how you deal with them.

Todays conservative is probably tomorrows conservative.

Todays whore for Conservatives is tomorrows whore for Liberalism. We already see many of them turning on Bush. Not all, and many of hte big names are still in the tank.

[charlie]

7. Do you want to peg the ship of state

(and the tumultuous backwash of America for the rest of the world) on the capricious whims of whores? I take your point that we're talking about whores here. But it's far better to sink the current idiots for their allegiance to a malignant ideology than to coopt them as apparatchiks for our cause. We don't want to perpetuate and enrich media clowns merely attuned to the scent of power, do we?

[bryant69]

8. I don't know that we have a choice

If you are a revolutionist, well that is a sort of a choice, but we would part ways. Also I think we might differ on the depth of the rot. In my opinion the American media is certainly bad but a long way from hopeless.

Bryant

[charlie]

10. Who's a revolutionist?

You've gotta be kidding. Revolutionist? That's a tacky charge. It ain't me, for chrissakes. Wanting to sack media advocates in thrall to power and their fabulous corporate paychecks, instead of welcoming their after-the-damage-is-done critiques that happens to coincide with Bush's tanking polls does NOT make me a fucking revolutionary. I'm not demanding a news media without a taint of whorishness, that's impossible. I want a measure of reportage that at least makes an effort at objectivity and neutrality.

Edit: Sorry, I apologize for the strong strident language, Bryant69. I'm in the midst of discussions on 3 other boards on related subjects, and I'm amped right now. I stand by my point, though.

[bryant69]

12. I didn't intend for it to be a charge

There are people on DU that seem to favor revolution, and that is one solution to the media problem.

But again let me ask, how do you get rid of the current crop of media suckups? And to what extent would have you to clean house?

And how do you do it so it doesn't look partisan?

[charlie]

13. I'm not certain that it can be done

But I'm certain that relenting on the suckups going wobbly just because their paid advocacy has finally caught them on the downside of the "conservative" wreckage of the country, IS NOT the way to go. The public is at long last deciding they don't like the fruits of Reagan/Gingrich/Bush conservatism. Swell. Keep reminding them that it was the friendly faces of Russert, Zahn, Matthews, et al, who pimped the lies that made their lives a horrorshow. Brand them untrustworthy, unfit for their jobs. Republicans have done this for 25+ years and managed to turn a more or less centrist media rightward. We'd be idiots to pass this chance to bring back some sanity and fairness.

[rniel]

9. It's more apparent than ever

You've got a president at 31% approval and still the media shields him. If the media were truly neutral and represented the average joe then wouldn't they finally be about fed up with this S***T.

[earth mom]

11. What an absolute pleasure to see the media die a slow & painful death!

:evilgrin:

:rofl: