Posted on 09/27/2004 7:11:04 PM PDT by an amused spectator
By Greg Mitchell
Published: September 27, 2004 8:00 PM EDT
NEW YORK On the eve of the Vote for Change tour, which has sparked controversy in newsrooms where reporters have been ordered not to attend the pro-Kerry fundraisers, Bruce Springsteen, one of the stars of the concerts, has a few words for the press.
In a wide ranging interview in the just-published Oct. 14 issue of Rolling Stone, Springsteen says, "The press has let the country down. It's taken a very amoral stand, in that essential issues are often portrayed as simply one side says this and the other side says that....The job of the press is to tell the truth without fear or favor. We have to get back to that standard."
Most of his criticism, however, is aimed at TV coverage, and he reveals that as "a dedicated" New York Times reader he has gained "enormous sustenance" from columnists Maureen Dowd and Paul Krugman.
The problem, according to Springsteen, is that "Fox News and the Republican right have intimidated the press into an incredible self-consciousness about appearing objective and backed them into a corner of sorts where they have ceded some of their responsibility and righteous power." In this regard, he finds The Washington Post and The New York Times admitting mistakes in their initial reporting about Iraq "very revealing."
Overall, while there has been some great reporting in the press, it has fallen far short, Springsteen tells Rolling Stone founder Jann S. Wenner: "Real news is the news we need to protect our freedoms. You get tabloid news, you get blood-and-guts news, you get news shot through with a self-glorifying façade of patriotism, but people have to sift too much for the news that we need to protect our freedoms....The loss of some of the soberness and seriousness of those institutions has had a devastating effect upon people's ability to respond to the events of the day."
But Springsteen mainly aims barbs at cable news, mocking the "enormous amount of Fox impersonators among what you previously thought were relatively sane media outlets across the cable channels."
Even the scripted political conventions deserved more coverage than they got, especially since they were often upstaged by reality TV shows. "No matter how staged they are," Springsteen says, "I think they're a little more important than people eating bugs," although he hastens to add, "If you want to watch people eating bugs, that's fine, I can understand that, too."
LOL! You can't make this stuff up!
Bruce Springsteen knows how to read?
Bruce Springsteen knows how to read?
I'm not sure the Times counts as literature. In any event, here we have another rock "philosopher" showing us just how shallow he really is. Still talking like some kid in high school social studies.
What a jackass. I've never understood why anyone likes any of his songs. Between him and Bob Dylan, Christopher Reeves has a clearer set of pipes.
Best part of the article:
"righteous power"
???
Where has Bruce been? The media elite no longer can control what everyone thinks, and that's for the better. This is a free market now, so get used to it!
"he reveals that as "a dedicated" New York Times reader he has gained "enormous sustenance" from columnists Maureen Dowd and Paul Krugman."
And yet, he has problems with the reporting at Fox!?!?
What a retard.
Amazing, how he admits that in public.
"The press has let the country down. It's taken a very amoral stand, in that essential issues are often portrayed as simply one side says this and the other side says that....The job of the press is to tell the truth without fear or favor. We have to get back to that standard"
Can you freaking beleive this idiot?? He's in some kind of springstonian bubble or something. I personally think an amoral stand is the Dim stand on abortion. Lets talk about that you has been, liberal freak.
yeah, if only the MSM had typed up more phony memos.
"The press has let the country down"--meaning Bruce wishes they were even more biased. I think guys like Sprinsteen almost want the anchors on TV to just come out and say "For the love of God, please vote against Bush".
...backed them into a corner of sorts where they have ceded some of their responsibility and righteous power."
Yeah...right, Bruce! These people are so full of themselves, they think that they can gloss over the obvious. Those rags he mentioned are so one-sided in their coverage, it's almost laughable. Would you think that Bruce has had one too many snorts?
That's it, you loony toon, just keep telling yourself that it is all one big Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.
Someone needs to explain to Bruce that he is a relevant to the "young people" of this generation as Johnny Ray and Frankie Laine were to his.
"Well they blew up a chicken man in Philly last night, yeah, they blew up his house, too."
Bruce "Me, Too!" Springsteen. What a hoot! Wasn't there a skit on SNL of Mr. Rogers reading one of Springsteen's songs as though it were a children's book? LOL!! (Small Town?)
Bruce needs to "live with intention" in the gifts that his DNA allows. Politics ain't it!
He is just like Dan Blather, and the rest of the loony left: it is only true when it backs up what they "believe" to be true.
Gotta love that 'enormous sustenance' remark. I guess dogs get enormous sustenance from regurgitate, in a similar fashion.
Actually he has gained mumble mumble mumble enorm mumble ous mumble sust mumble ainence mumble mumble mumble passion mumble mumble streets mumble mumble cars . . .
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