Michael Malone, ABC News:
The traditional media are playing a very, very dangerous game  with their readers, with the Constitution and with their own fates.
The sheer bias in the print and television coverage of this election campaign is not just bewildering, but appalling. And over the last few months I’ve found myself slowly moving from shaking my head at the obvious one-sided reporting, to actually shouting at the screen of my television and my laptop computer.
But worst of all, for the last couple weeks, I’ve begun  for the first time in my adult life  to be embarrassed to admit what I do for a living. A few days ago, when asked by a new acquaintance what I did for a living, I replied that I was “a writer,†because I couldn’t bring myself to admit to a stranger that I’m a journalist.
Not to worry, Michael. Jules Crittenden, who doesn’t like being called a journalist in the first place, has some advice for you.
Oh. And welcome to the dark side.
Journalists are pretty filthy and I’d be embarrassed too but at least he doesn’t work for the Associated Press. Or the LA Times. Or NPR. Oh. Actually there’s no mitigating it now that I think about it.
I honestly don’t see a biased newspaper as an entirely bad thing, as long as the bias remains on the EDITORIAL pages.
Unfortunately, it seems to have bled into the straight news.
“unfortunately, it seems to have bled into the straight news.”
Bled? Buckets of blood and arterial bleeding is what it is.
“What’s Black and White and Red all over?” A: THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
But the think is both sides the right / the crazy conservatives have their media in pocket and the left / liberal illuminati have media in their pocket. i agree that the left probably have a bit more on their side but i don’t feel bad for McCain and his crew. They have plenty of crazy Christians sending emails. I think that almost evens out the press. But seriously, they both have there share of media and to be honest, i am sick of hearing about it!
I have this thought picture that I just can’t shake.
John McCain standing in a cramped, dirty room, explaining something to a nerdy guy sitting behind a desk, which holds an etch a sketch.
Barak Obama is out in the parking lot talking to the crowd that pops up behind the cell phone user in the Verizon adds – “the NETWORK”.
It’s not nearly the same, I’m thinking.
“…Christians sending emails.”
Your ideas intrigue me. Do you have a newsletter I might subscribe to?
They have plenty of crazy Christians sending emails
:::sniff:::sniff:::
is that eau de Astroturf?
Personally, I think we’ve entered an era where national tickets for both parties will have to include at least one minority per, and that possibly does not include females, unless black or other minority.
You can see the usefulness and limitations already, as far as leverage. It just remains to be seen what the final tallies are.
I hope, if that era is now upon us, that it is short in duration mostly b/c the field of qualified minorities for national office is, thus far, too small IMHO to be a Good Thing.
So Jules says: “What the fuck does a journalist do?”
Well, he knows the question, at least. And he can write the f-word, but very artlessly.
But nothing else.
[…] REFUSE, to give momentum to a candidate who will promote failed ideologies. In this charged, biased environment, I am not sure what and who to believe and I read this stuff all the time. I’m not sure how […]
So if I send a few emails it will offset Obama’s juggernaut broadcast campaign team.
I’M ON IT!
Good thing the blogosphere exists. And talk radio.
The 2009 Democrat Superpelosimajority would never fire up the Fairness Doctrine w/i the first 60 days of it’s reign.
Nah.
is that eau de Astroturf?
Yep, he misspelled his name, should have been Eeww…
I think it’s important we recognize him for being so obvious, and obviously anti-religious.
So why are the Obamabots such a pack of haters?
We are so crazy in this country. I swear. I have been watching Bob Somersby and Glenn Greenwald screech wildly, waving “studies” that show how the media is really the Lapdog of the Bush Uberfascist Regime. “Leni Riefenstahl, y’all!!1!!” Because we Democrats got our asses giftwrapped and handed to us with a little pink bow by the Republicans twice. Back in the late 80s and early 90s when the “media bias” meme really caught fire, I was actually somewhat concerned about it. But now I am convinced that we are just really sore losers in this country and we can’t abide the idea that other people don’t share our political views. If our guy or girl is down in the polls and our agenda is not getting any traction, it is because of Teh Bias! It is never because perhaps the opposition is better at the politicking – or that maybe everyone agrees with the opposition more than you at that particular time – no, it is because of some nefarious plot to brainwash people into not agreeing with you. Seriously, I am completely done with it. We are a nation of high-pitched whiners.
I can guarantee you, if Obama loses (unlike my fellows, I think that is a strong possibility, to the disappointment and rending of the garments of all of us O’bots) we will be the ones poring over the news tallying up all of the anti-liberal bias, counting every time a reporter used the word Marxist or Muslim in the same sentence as Obama, etc. etc. It is so tiresome.
Just look at the last week of the campaign Lisa. As “The Awakening” is taking shape, more and more reporters seem to be looking in the mirror and saying (Walker Texas Ranger-style) “Who am I?”
Funny, the only emails I seem to get are from Obama’s campaign and those are generally overflowing with utter bullshit.
…and by saying, I, of course, meant “asking themselves” or “saying in a self-questioningly manner”.
Love these creative writing classes.
The bias by ommission I think is what is most glaring this time Lisa. The MSM is simply REFUSING to cover negative O! stories. They do not even air them. Seeing bias every day, such as the tingling legs thingy, is not as bad as Pravda type shit where everyone is sitting around scratching their heads saying “Why the fuck am I not hearing ______ when I see it every day?”
Lisa, I have to respectfully disagree with you. In Detroit, there are (maybe) two conservative writers in the whole town; Nolan Finley and Daniel Howes. There are two local radio commentators- and one bends over backwards to be fair to the point of compromising important interviews. That is why you have a state that is going for Obama despite the fact that its Democratic gov has driven the state INTO the ground.
Yesterday, I heard some asshat blame Bush and Nafta for Michigan’s troubles. Not the fault of it’s two Dem Senators. Not the fault of it’s Dem Gov or Dem Ghettofabulous Mayor of Detroit (in jail as of 6 pm last night). NOt the fault of it’s it’s career DEM Representatives Dingell, Conyers, and Kilpatrick.
That is the point I was trying to make, poorly I might add. The American people are simply not being given the information they need in order to make their own minds up.
I mean come on, the biggest story last election cycle was some guy taping his foot in a bathroom stall. Now we have over a trillion dollar mortgage crisis, and you have the head of the Congressional banking comittee having gay sex with an executive from Fannie Mae while he was accepting millions of dollars of campaign contributions from them. I have yet to see ONE mainstream report on this. Barney Frank helped drive the mortgage industry into the fuckin ground, but good luck getting that information out this election cycle.
“Journalists are pretty filthy and I’d be embarrassed too but at least he doesn’t work for the Associated Press.”
This is not a new phenomenon.
Rudyard Kipling, Delilah
Barney Frank (running for his 14th term in office) isn’t even being challenged, is he? Do you think it it had been a Republican in that position he would be as untouched by what has happened?
Gaiety in a Barney Frank sex-act? Inconceivable!
The only emails I seem to get are from Reid’s office. They’re always overflowing with utter bullshit and I overstate the matter not.
If eternal vigilance keeps freedom, tyranny begins with fools voting and those they vote for fully realizing this. Or dependents. That works too, evidently really, really well.
Pink I think Americans have PLENTY of information to be able to make their minds up. We fetishize our intellectual laziness and blame the media when it is OUR job to do more than passively sit back and get spoonfed information. Granted, I think there are some stories that are really shittily presented on TV or radio, which I have later gotten a complete picture from the web or in a newspaper. But still, the information was available – it just wasn’t chirpily delivered by the dumbass in the anchor chair or scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Some stories are complex and take a little firing of the synapses to flesh out. If someone is too fucking lazy to read the LONG article in the Wall Street Journal (with no pretty pictures) then that is on them.
I would say we have more information than we have EVER had. My parents told me many times about how people would not know the facts about a given event for weeks, months, or even years. They also got very little information about candidates other than what the candidate wanted you to know – or what the opposition smeared him with.
I find it interesting that most people are not concerned about the super-consolidation of news sources, but whether the local reporter is nicer to their bonehead in interviews than the opposition’s bonehead. I mean, does it really matter? The horse left the fucking barn a long time ago.
Similarly, if in the hunt for November O! is performing landslide duty, why are so many leftists so bloody angry? Me, I think the whole tragic mess that is President 2009: The Natural Failure is the best possible national palate-cleansing imaginable — the Democrat Supermajority finally brings the place to its knees and the survivors are, naturally, survivors. The dependents and the riffraff and the opportunists and liars finally have to get real work or die going after somebody else’s stuff. Tough choice.
With federal ownership about to overtake combined private ownership and with the press turned into a literal Fourth Estate, the system is broken and the environment for such has been cultivated for decades. Maybe it’s time to let events finally drive a stake through its heart and then start over.
You mean, LIsa like that chick from Orlando who had the audacity to ask Biden a verbotten question? Interviews are supposed to be TOUGH but fair. Tough means you don’t avoid certainly lines of inquiry and fair means you allow them the opportunity to answer whatever question you asked completely.
The question, JHoward, is how do we reform the media? We can throw (the REpublican) bums out of office, but Mitch Albom still has a radio show and a syndicated column.
And, I’m very concerned about the consolidation of media. My local paper is nothing but AP and Rueter’s stories, sprinkled with a few liberal local columnists. Circulation has been spinning downward for decades, as fewer people want to do the hard job of “reading” their news. The talking heads spoonfeed it so much better. Better yet if you can just have John Stewert tell you what is important.
Yes, he is, by a friend/colleague of mine, Earl Sholley. I don’t like Earl’s chances as MA voters have long been known for their utterly horrible taste in politicians, but he’s giving it all he’s got. I might have to run up there and vote for some dead people.
I wasn’t talkin about interviews, I was speaking to a total news blackout on any negative O! stories. I mean the guy sits in a church listening to “white+rich=evil” for 20 years, (I know we disagree with this but follow me here) and he is allowed to simply give a speech explaining it. He is never asked questions about WTF was he doing letting his kids sit thru that shit or which one of those youtube sermons he was there for. Hell he isn’t even asked a question on it at all. He was just applauded for giving a speech excusing it. They are even having news blackouts on negative Democrat stories. Shit the guy that took over for Foley has been having an affair and BRIBING his mistress. Good luck hearing that either. Whatever this is just going to go in a circle again so what is the point.
That’s what I meant. I knew someone was running against him, but he doesn’t appear to have a snowball’s chance ….
Mr. Pink, ever consider the possibility that the press and public are tuning you out because you are a broken record? We get that Obama is evil, and your obsession with sex scandals is downright silly.
One mention of Barney taking it up the fannie from Fannie, and it’s obsession?
I like you cynn. You go bra-less.
Oh, substantive challenge? No, not really. But Barney has run completely unopposed several times and he would have again, no thanks to the GOP. They don’t care for Earl much and they’ve given him exactly no support whatsoever. So, they’re clearly OK with Congressman Barney Frank.
Pink, obviously that is not what they sat through for 20 years. Yeah, after poring through all of the tapes (gladly made available by the church’s own store) they found 4 or 5 crazy spittle frothing sermons. Not that that is an excuse – but the rest of the time, it was standard biblethumping, fat and sweaty gospel singers, and people hopping around with the ‘holy spirit’.
We get that Obama is evil,
You keep torching that strawman, Cynn. Whenever we’ve tried to have a substantive discussion about Obama … at which time everyone from your side apparently has had other, more pressing, things to do.
Carin what would you have us do? We know the same thing you know – but we see it differently. Does “substantive” mean we have to agree with you? What exactly is it that you want?
Well if that is how you rationalize it Lisa I am sure you would have no problem rationalizing a tape of Obama sitting idly by while people spout anti-semitism. Shouldn’t be a problem at all honestly the LATimes should just release it now. Only place it would get airtime is on some right wing opinion show on Fox anyway.
Well, fine then Lisa. Let’s have a discussion about Obama’s tax plan. The Ayers and Wright stuff is nothing supporting evidence that he is a socialist, but the PRIMARY evidence are his policies and what he – himself- has said.
Has Megyn Kelly had a chance to as Bill Burton about the tape?
k
Pink I dont care if they release it either. I think they are creating a controversy by witholding it.
Somebody get that man an accordion! Stat!
Carin: The problem is that this country, in reaction to the excesses that led to the financial meltdown is swinging left. Screeching ‘socialist’ and pointing your finger like Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers is no longer an effective dealbreaker. And you know there has always been people like me who have always been Filthy Goddamned Socialists, so that shit definitely doesn’t scare me.
has always been = have always been
Lisa @#13. You know, people wouldn’t be using terms like “Marxist” or “socialist” in relation to O!, if he wasn’t actually a Marxist/socialist. Truth in labelling, and all that.
Lisa – then how about if I start screeching that O’s tax policy is going to result in people losing their jobs? That you can’t tax businesses w/o expecting the PEOPLE to assume that burden. That tax rich folks means they’re going to have less money to spend. Instead it’s going to get filtered through the government, and by the time they get done with it there’s gonna be next to nothing left?
How about I argue that O’s Iraq strategy (cut and run) is going to be horrible for the Iraqi people? And will result in all those battle casualties we suffered meaning NOTHING. Or that his swipes at relocating our troops to Afghanistan is going to result in more troops dying there than are currently dying in IRaq? Or the idea that we decide to do ANYTHING in Pakistan is going to stir up the hornets like you wouldn’t believe.
Or, we can talk health care. And how Obama’s plan is going to -in the end- reduce the choice that all of us have.
No, Lisa. In reaction to a lot of things, the country is getting damned disgusted with the quality of governance at all levels, including but not limited to the Congress, the Presidency, the major corporations, financial institutions, and the speed with which Uncle Bob’s Quick-Stops LLC processes the payroll; and the busybodies, bullies, and dominance-game players are using that as a wedge to gain power, employing the rhetoric of “socialism” to support their grabs.
The “financial meltdown” was caused by a combination of incompetence, corruption, and herd-following, and its severity is being wildly overstated by people angling for a chance to stick their oar in. Do you really suppose that situation will be improved when it is run by people who don’t know a convertible debenture from a convertible Volkswagen, because if they did they’d be employed in the industry and therefore guilty of “conflict of interest”?
Regards,
Ric
The little cracks of buyer’s remorse coming from media are pretty easy to explain; these are people who believed “I’ll pull out” back at prom time, and they see history unfolding again…
Lisa,
The financial “meltdown” you refer to was, infact started by our friends in Washington. By friends, I mean Barney Frank (and his boyfriend who worked at FNM), Chris Dodd, And a few liars…err…lawyers that worked for “community organizations” like Acorn
Speaking of ACORN atty’s, Obama’s Motor Voter Bill has put green-card-holding immigrants in danger of being deported. Though the BMV hires only the most competent associates and ACORN – the same, carded immigrants are getting their DL and those Einsteins working at the License Bureaus are letting them know they can register and vote. They then go vote and are in violation of their immigration status. Goodbye.
Way to go Barry.
Tmj I think the analogy would work better with “just the tip”. Although that is totally IMHO.
Ric, my point was that the country is swinging left, no matter what your opinion on the cause of the crisis is. Argue all you want, but that is the perception. You can yap all you want about how the people in Washington caused it, but people see Wall Street having a great time reaping the benefits of their sub-prime mortgage bundles, weird little security swaps, etc. Then when things turn ugly and the fun money party ends, they decide they are too big to fail and come to us, the taxpayers – hat in hand for a ‘solution’ to their self-inflicted ‘crisis’. Seems the only thing that trickled down to the average schmoe was the bill.
Maybe folks are wrong and stupid for seeing it that way, but that is how it is being viewed. That is why McCain is taking such a beating. He rightly or wrongly seems to represent more of the same bullshit.
NPR does same as Lisa. When the stock market had a good day yesterday they said the economy may be crashing all around us but Wall Street decided to have a party today. As if Wall Street wasn’t you and me just buying stocks like people what buy stocks buy stocks. NPR’s socialist ideology makes it hard for them to comprehend the world with any acuity I think. Also they just like to make propaganda out of everything just for scuz.
Happy yeah yeah, NPR is a socialist propaganda outfit. The only people who do real news the way REAL Americans need it is Fox. And since they are ugly on NPR, they are obviously stupid and communist. Everyone knows that only pretty blondes can do the news with out bias.
And NPR uses all those big words. That is just elitist.
Oh and pssssst Kai Ryssdal said that yesterday on Marketplace. He is cute, but everyone knows he is a communist. The only real financial reporter in the world is Hugh Dobbs.
It was Kai. That’s a gay name. Maybe that’s why he hates America. I like that greek kid that Instapundit links at USN&WR. He’s very sensible I think.
I haven’t watched this Fox News of which you speak except sometimes on YouTube. I hardly ever see tv, especially news tv. I don’t feel like they respect me.
In commie land we all watch Fox, listen to AM radio, and hate us some minorities happy. It is the reason we are evil because if we stopped all those three things we would stop being so mean and evil and embrace the happy change.
By the way NPR sucks a fat cock.
When the economy is bad, the incumbent party is blamed for it. That does not mean the country is swinging left, it means the country is swinging against the Republicans. Those are not the same thing.
NPR is aimed at middle class and up white liberals. That is their demographic. Anyone else listening to their twaddle is happenstance or people who enjoy lightly torturing themselves.
Happy you must get your news from those fascists at WSJ. I do too (I have to keep an eye on the enemy). I read the Stalinists at The Grey Communist Whore over at 1 City Hall too.
Funny that not only are conservatives extremely comfortable interviewing with the folks at NPR (they actually seem to enjoy relaxing and being lulled to sleep by the interviewers), but most of the conservatives (and I mean really conservative) that I know in the DC/Baltimore area really like and respect NPR. But I guess they are just not real Americans – after all they live in areas that have more than one Wal-Mart so they must be commies.
I couldn’t imagine watching soundbite-riddled tv for my news. Blech. I love listening to those ugly people at NPR calmly and intelligently deliver the news. I can’t imagine having to listen to some stupid fool on cable give me the news every day.
It’s soothing propaganda what NPR does. It’s not news. Just Marxism and Christian hate. I don’t know why they hate Christians so much and then keep emphasizing that Baracky loves him some white Jesus. They just flat out creep me out. It’s like they yearn for sectarian violence right here at home.
Good point cranky-d. But I also think that there are other signs that folks are a bit weary of waiting for things to trickle down to them. I think people are more receptive to the idea of the government intervening and MAKING something happen that will cut them some kind of break. Were they dedicated Marxists like myself, I would be happy about this. However, I know that people are just feeling squeezed so they just want SOMETHING to happen – as soon as the vice grip of bills and crappy wages lets up a bit, they will be back to hollering about tax cuts, abortions, and queers. Fickle bitches.
Sounds like you just don’t like the people who listen to NPR, thus you have an issue with NPR. You have never presented evidence of propagandizing. Not once. But keep trying. It amuses me.
I would love to see “evidence” of the Christian hate though. LMAO!!! That is a hoot.
People are feeling squeezed but NPR which loves to talk about bubles bubbles evil capitalist bubbles never noticed the oil bubble burst. This causes them great distress.
Time for some gas taxes you poor squeezed Baracky voters. NPR only wants what’s best for you and will continue to consult with the United Nations on your behalf to determine what that might be. Yay!
They already have those gas taxes in MD where Lisa lives happy. If they live close to VA they just drive here so they don’t have to pay them.
O’s too interested in leveling income,
As long as people can move between classes, with ingenuity and/or luck and/or prudence and/or talent that’s a fair enough world for me
NPR portrays Christians as deranged pitiful freaks all the time, Lisa. It’s very condescending and it makes me feel sorry for them that they have a huge government-funded radio network what encourages society to look down upon them with a mixture of horror and pity.
Upon reflection, I believe the traumatic incident was more along the lines of “WE’LL pull out. Promise. Oh wow, and here’s the JV team, too….”
The MSM is all in on “O”, and the LA tape is the proof.
They expect the O!ne to make all those BAD PEOPLE on the interwebs and AM radio just shut up and go away.
Cowardice always stinks. I bet that right now press rooms smell like a stadium pisser on nickel beer night in June. You go, boys and girls. I just hope I’m there to laugh at you when the O!ne tosses you under the bus, too.
Rather, when you wake up to the fact that he’s already done with you. What else does a door charge to cover his elevation mean, morons?
I would love to see “evidence†of the Christian hate though. LMAO!!!
Bad casseroles?
I would have to respectfully disagree with you on that, Happy. I think they are very even-handed about religion and philosophy.
Pink I would never bother driving to VA for gas. That would be rather stupid since it would burn up quite a bit of gas to drive from Baltimore to Virginia. Besides, last time I was in Northern VA (a few weeks ago), the gas was higher than it was in Baltimore.
Rusty, LOL.