The Radio Equalizer
http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2005/08/air-america-media-reaction-examined.html
Sitting Out The Scandal
Comparing Coverage: MSM, Talk Radio, Blogosphere
Here's a pop quiz:
If you're running Air America Radio right about now, are you
A) horrified your dirty secrets are being aired by bloggers and others, or
B) thrilled, knowing it will shortly be back to business as usual, since the mainstream media has decided to look the other way at your network's past dirty dealings and recent conflicting statements.
Hate to be so cynical, but I'm afraid the answer was A) a day or two ago, with B) much closer to reality, today.
Air America can say with confidence that Internet attention will soon die down, with no threat of an imminent New York Times, or other major newspaper bombshell.
The day the media's old guard allow bloggers to drive a story, is the day they (insert Helen Thomas joke here).
Time for a look at how Air America's dirty money scandal, where as much as $800,000 in taxpayer funds were diverted from a Bronx-area community center, the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club, is being covered:
Blogosphere, Internet, New Media:
Bloggers jumped on this rapidly, beginning with the Radio Equalizer plus Michelle Malkin, and soon after joined by hundreds of others, from the largest, to the smallest.
Support has been terrific, there seems to be a realization perhaps learned during Rathergate, that bloggers simply cannot back off and allow a major story to die.
Nothing so far from Drudge, Opinion Journal, or one big conservative blog. Perhaps that will soon change.
Talk Radio:
Just a couple of years ago, it would have been talk radio leading the charge, on a subject like this. Now, it's in bad shape, so reactions were varied. Some led, others followed or haven't even mentioned it.
To the Radio Equalizer, it appeared a number of local hosts, such as KSFO's Melanie Morgan, WRKO's Howie Carr, all of KVI's local guys and others were right on top of this from day one. I've been doing radio interviews all over the country.
Has anyone heard Sean Hannity or Rush Limbagh mention it yet?
A number of hosts are holding back, is it because they don't want to ruffle corporate feathers, they haven't heard about it, or another reason? Some were out last week while this was developing.
Hosts who are also active bloggers seem to make the most informed, effective combination. Who was more on top of this than Hugh Hewitt? Not only very substantial information on his site, he was very quick to invite me on his program.
Hewitt's blog forces him to always be well-prepped, while some in talk radio phone it in.
Mainstream media:
How do you define it?
Do FOX News, the New York Sun, Post and Washington Times count? I don't think so.
The only real "establishment" media piece came Friday from CNN's Inside Politics program, where this site and others were featured.
Will Air America end up off the hook? It could happen, but it's really up to bloggers to decide how stubborn they want to be, if stamina is high, so too could be the payoff.
What will it take to get the mainstream media to cover this story? Why hasn't it appeared on the AP wire, at the very least?
Please leave comments below with your thoughts.
City Kid$ graphic by George Adair, MSM by Suzy Rice, AAR Scandal by Steve Wilson. You may use them on your site if you give proper credit to the sources.
I called Rush yesterday and got to the screener, who said the matter had been covered on Friday and hung up. Walter E. Williams hosted on Friday and I didn't hear him mention the matter while I was listening. More important, however, is that the size of the embezzlements has doubled since Friday from about $400,000 then to about $875,000 now. We all ought be calling in to Rush today to keep this going. After all, he didn't just mention the Swiftvets once on his show and then forget them. I don't get Hannity, so I don't know whether he's covered this or not.