Cokie Roberts: The dark side of media democratization [Free Republic dissed]

metrowestdailynews ^ | Oct 19, 2008 | By Cokie Roberts and Steven V. Roberts

[Jim Robinson]

Yada, yada, yada.

~~snip~~

The growing power of rumor is part of a much larger transformation in the way that voters receive information about politics. The old model was a vertical one, where professional journalists delivered their reports to a largely passive audience through television or newspapers. The new model is horizontal, where folks get information from each other and actively pass it on, through e-mail, text messages and viral videos. Everyone is a potential broadcaster.

This "democratization of information" has many benefits - more sources, more perspectives, more choices. In a forum Steve moderated for The International Journal of Press/Politics, Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, offered two examples: the incendiary sermons of Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and Obama's speech on race and religion.

"Millions more people will see and observe and analyze those incidents online than would ever tune into a newscast showing the clips," Jurkowitz said. "So you are dramatically expanding the universe. (And) people can make up their own minds without any kind of media mediation whatsoever."

But there's also a dark side to this horizontal system. Without "media mediation," without the persistent truth-telling, fact-checking efforts of well-trained professionals, falsehoods can flourish.

The "he's an Arab" smear reached so widely that the New York Times devoted a front-page story to its origins. Its conclusion: After the allegations first appeared in 2004, they were picked up by the conservative Web site FreeRepublic.com "and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites, and books."

Said Danielle Allen, a Princeton professor who has studied the episode: "It's an example of how the Internet has given power to sources we would have never taken seriously at another point in time."

[woofie]

After the allegations first appeared in 2004, they were picked up by the conservative Web site FreeRepublic.com "and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites, and books."

I want a link to this article from 2004

[woofie]

Thanks

[pillut48]

threw=through

Sorry, sleep deprivation with the twins strikes again!
But you knew what I meant. :-)

[Windcatcher]

Typical liberal arrogance on their part. They think they’re enlightened and smarter than the rest of us.

My message to Pyongyang Cokie? I have a 149 IQ and a pair of Master’s degrees. She can kindly bite me.

[Jim Robinson]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1189687/posts

[Lancey Howard]

If it wasn’t for “the Web” we would never have known that Hussein Obama is nothing more than a crack-smoking homosexual Muslim street-thug from Chicago.

[Nateman]

In Soviet Russia a joke said there was only two channels on TV .

#1)Nothing but propaganda 24/7

#2 ) A menacing figure appears, points right at you, says your name and then "You should be watching channel 1!"

Sorry Cokie but I'm done with watching channel one

[Prophet in the wilderness]

” So I, a poor American slob out here in flyover country, cannot read or hear or see a ‘raw’ news story and figure it out myself—it's got to go threw the ‘blender’ of journalistic review and editing before I can truly understand a story?? “ .... in other words.... the KGBDBMSM is only allowed to shape our opinion or world views.

[woofie]

Thanks Jim ...

[hole_n_one]

Notice that the source link for the 2004 post is now dead.

Had the article been excerpted rather than posted in full, we would have probably not been able to ever view it again in it's entirety.

That's why needless excerpting on FR should be discouraged at all times, and, when excerpting is necessary due to restrictions by the source, rather than using the auto-excerpting feature, posters should excerpt (snip) the most relevant details within the article so as to ensure the posts worth as a research aid in the future.

[woofie]

It seems ok for Oliver Stone and everyone on the left to make up their own facts...Its these horrible Right wing kooks reading Yahoo News we need to worry about

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Jim ? I have only 2 words....

( KGBDBMSM ) Amerika Pravda ....

[calex59]

What BS. As for the rumor that Bozo was an Arab, not many on FR care if he is an Arab or not, what we care about is whether or not he is a Muslim and a Communist. He appears to pretty much be a communist without any help from us and we know for a fact he was raised as a Muslim in his early years. We don’t know much more than that because the staunch defenders of the faith, the MSM, won’t Vet him, won’t ask him questions won’t dig into the truth of his past and just lets him skate on everything. If this is defending the truth and fact checking then America can well do without it.

[Danae]

Yea right. And the MSM is not only accurate they report ALL the news and are fair and unbiased and always present both sides. I am also a multi-millionare and have 3 maids who do everything for me (rolls eyes).

[bruinbirdman]

"The "he's an Arab" smear reached so widely that the New York Times devoted a front-page story to its origins."

Where the smear reached right onto the cover of The New Yorker magazine, where Oblahma is displayed in full Mohammedan regalia:

[wac3rd]

“The old model was a vertical one, where professional journalists delivered their reports to a largely passive audience through television or newspapers.”

Yes, and those journalists had very strong Liberal, Socialist and even Communist views...distorted them, and passed them on as news.

It continues to this day on every network, cable network , magazine and newspaper, excluding Fox and Talk Radio, which seems to have some type of balance.

[OKIEDOC]

Said Danielle Allen, a Princeton professor who has studied the episode: “It's an example of how the Internet has given power to sources we would have never taken seriously at another point in time.”

Reply: No professor Allen and Mrs. Roberts you are wrong.

It is us the people who are having to do your fact checking to see if your so-called professional reporters are telling the truth.

Truth is, we the American people just don't trust the MSM to tell us much of nothing that is not biased against the majority of citizens.

I CHOOSE NOT TO FIND THE MSM RELEVANT in my everyday choices due your loss of credibility.

I among several million citizens no long choose to get our news form the left wing media.

Personally I think your job is antiquated in that your and your so-called professionals have forgotten that radical persuasion and propaganda was not why you were protected under the constitution.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Yada Yada Yada!

Hey. Why not make them all madder? :)

[MichaelAsher54]

Penetrating Insights into the Obvious

[wac3rd]

I do realize that Obama’s praise, mentorship and ogoing relationship with Bill Ayers would have been the top story on CBS news at 6.

I’m sure Reverend Jeremiah Wright sermons would have been Brian Williams’ lead story on NBC News.

ACORN would be another top story for Keith Olbermann.

I’m sure Rezko would be investigated on PBS, in fact Charlie Rose and Bill Moyers would tag team him on his involvment with the shady bank and even more shady property purchases for Obama.

I am also sure Chris Matthews would be knocking on doors, Dateline-style, to find out about Odinga and his fundraising and visit from Obama.

The Media is a front for the DNC, I am unsure why a GE-owned enterprise would allow the Leftist NBC(s) to run wild for Marxism, but that is something probably discussed at Bohemian Grove.