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TV News Sanitizing Protesters' Image
RatherBiased.com ^ | 2004-08-31

Posted on 08/31/2004 11:32:20 AM PDT by RatherBiased.com

In all of the media coverage of the anti-Bush protesters who have been gathering in New York City outside the GOP convention, are viewers getting an accurate portrait? Not according to influential University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato who spoke out on the subject on Monday's Special Report with Brit Hume. Having seen the protesters parade by his hotel on Sunday, he saw a decidedly different version of events later that evening on television.

"I saw a very different protest [from his hotel room]. I saw lots of obscenities, not just on the banners but also hurled at almost anybody who looked like they might have been a delegate or anybody connected to the Republican convention," Sabato said.

Later that evening he turned on the television.

"I watched the coverage. They did something called mainstreaming. They were very careful to pick out a couple of Iraq War veterans, a little old lady had who attended her first convention and a married couple. A middle-class married couple who had very moderate things to say. Now that may have been 10 or 20 percent of the protesters but I can guarantee you, having watched a good part of this demonstration, that was not representative of the demonstrations."

Sabato's comments do appear to be true of CBS's coverage which has heavily emphasized elderly women, anti-Bush families, and the peaceful intentions of protesters.

Read the full transcript of Sabato's remarks here or watch C-SPAN's live feed of the parade route in case you didn't get a chance to see what the protests were actually like.



(Excerpt) Read more at ratherbiased.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: anarchists; gwb2004; mediabias; networks; newsblackout; protestors; ratherbiased; rncconvention
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1 posted on 08/31/2004 11:32:21 AM PDT by RatherBiased.com
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To: RatherBiased.com

O'Reilly said that 80% are from New York. Not exactly a national event!


2 posted on 08/31/2004 11:36:00 AM PDT by BonnieJ
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To: RatherBiased.com

I saw 10 minutes of MTV at lunch today. THey had one of their little news brief thingies, and mentioned that the RNC opened with peaceful protests Sunday and Monday.

I was waiting for the line, "But things took a downward turn on Tuesday, with protestors beating a detective unconscious, and numerous arrests" or the like, but nothing. Nothing at all.

As far as MTV is concerned, this is a big fun block party that happens to have a political convention in the middle of it, and everyone's colorfully fun and harmless.


3 posted on 08/31/2004 11:38:01 AM PDT by Gefreiter ("Flee...into the peace and safety of a new dark age." HP Lovecraft)
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To: RatherBiased.com

What do you expect from the network rags? Representing the yellow socialist dirtbags in their true light won't get kerry elected, now will it?


4 posted on 08/31/2004 11:38:15 AM PDT by Don Simmons (Draw a line and stand on it.)
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To: RatherBiased.com
SABATO: I saw a very different protest. I saw lots of obscenities, not just on the banners but also hurled at almost anybody who looked like they might have been a delegate or anybody connected to the Republican convention. And you know, I tell you Brit, I saw much worse on the other major networks. I watched the coverage. They did something called mainstreaming.

Now remember, the networks and others have a responsibility to give relatively balanced and equal coverage to the two major parties. What was the coverage on Sunday and Monday of the Democratic convention? Absolutely glowing coverage on every network and the major newspapers. Already we see a major difference.

It must be very obvious to Sabato, pretty much a Dem operative, to say this. Sabato's getting concerned about the "credibility" of the media.

5 posted on 08/31/2004 11:40:20 AM PDT by NavySEAL F-16 (Proud to be a Reagan Republican)
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To: RatherBiased.com

I saw a news story this morning that put the attendance for Sunday's events at 500,000. Has anyone else heard that as the #?


6 posted on 08/31/2004 11:41:24 AM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
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To: BonnieJ
O'Reilly said that 80% are from New York. Not exactly a national event!

An bussed in at the Dems' expense, plus free meals. "What collusion??"

7 posted on 08/31/2004 11:42:02 AM PDT by pabianice
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To: ican'tbelieveit

From the transcript:

SABATO: Absolutely. And it's a legitimate story to point out that this is part of this convention and the numbers are relatively large. Although 250,000 in the city size of New York, with 5 to 1 Democratic registration, with the city voting probably 65 - 70 percent better of George Bush, I don't think it's a very impressive number.

HUME: And of course, it's a number that's in some dispute. Protest organizers were saying, you know, a million, somewhere would agree to 500,000. Other estimates placed the numbers as low as 120,000. It's very difficult to tell.


8 posted on 08/31/2004 11:43:28 AM PDT by RatherBiased.com
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To: ican'tbelieveit

The stories I saw were repeating that that # was the organizers' claim.


9 posted on 08/31/2004 11:44:50 AM PDT by GovernmentShrinker (Donate to the Swift Vets -- www.swiftvets.com)
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To: RatherBiased.com

They always do that. You just can't believe the liberal media.


10 posted on 08/31/2004 11:45:33 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
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To: GovernmentShrinker

Today was the first time I heard 500,000 passed around. Heard 125,000 a lot Sunday, with 250,000 projected by organizers.


11 posted on 08/31/2004 11:49:16 AM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
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To: RatherBiased.com
Having seen the protesters parade by his hotel on Sunday, he saw a decidedly different version of events later that evening on television.

Somebody hand this guy a digital camera.

12 posted on 08/31/2004 11:50:29 AM PDT by pray4liberty
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To: RatherBiased.com

I saw Sabato with Brit yesterday and he actually seemed a bit miffed that the MSM was not accurately reporting on the parading parasists in NYC.


13 posted on 08/31/2004 12:15:02 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: NavySEAL F-16
It must be very obvious to Sabato, pretty much a Dem operative, to say this. Sabato's getting concerned about the "credibility" of the media.

Didn't know he was democrat. But I do know he can't make up his mind. One day it is Bush is ahead. No he is behind. Bush is dead in the water. No Kerry is dead in the water. Swiftboat issue is going to hurt Bush, not it is helping. I can't see Bush winning this. I can't see Kerry winning this. I value his opinion on issues about as much as Dick Morris's.

14 posted on 08/31/2004 12:17:29 PM PDT by pepperhead (Kennedy's float, Mary Jo's don't!)
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To: RatherBiased.com
Finally Sabato is being honest. He said a month ago that the race was over, Kerry's to lose.

Now on Brit Hume's show last night he said Bush has taken the lead and although he didn't say it, it was clear he was totally wrong earlier.....not good for a supposed famous non-partisan political expert pundit.

15 posted on 08/31/2004 12:17:58 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: pepperhead
not now it is helping
16 posted on 08/31/2004 12:21:25 PM PDT by pepperhead (Kennedy's float, Mary Jo's don't!)
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To: 1Old Pro

I keep reading some very negative posts on FR about Larry Sabato, and I don't get it. I hae never heard Prof. Sabato say anything partisan at all, and I've been listening to him for years. He's always sruck me as a pretty down the middle sort of guy. I even get the impression he sees politics much like a sporting event, and he's the color commentator. I don't think he much cares who wins, but he sure enjoys watching the show. Don't mean to offend anyone here, but I think Sabato is a okay guy.


17 posted on 08/31/2004 12:23:35 PM PDT by sola_fide
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To: 1Old Pro
He said a month ago that the race was over, Kerry's to lose.

Well every time his story changes he gets on tv. LOL

18 posted on 08/31/2004 12:24:28 PM PDT by pepperhead (Kennedy's float, Mary Jo's don't!)
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To: sola_fide
Don't mean to offend anyone here, but I think Sabato is a okay guy.

He may be O.K., but he leans Left. You have to listen to him for a while to detect this, but it's there.

19 posted on 08/31/2004 12:29:50 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: RatherBiased.com

Almost every time they mention the protesters they throw the word peaceful into the sentence.


20 posted on 08/31/2004 12:32:00 PM PDT by freeperfromnj
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